The call for used clothing came from The Salvation Army and campaigners Going for Green who launched a joint drive – Reuse Clothes, Reduce Waste, Reclaim Lives – to get more people recycling their old clothes.
“Three per cent of the items we throw away are made up of textiles and this creates a big headache for the waste industry,” said Going for Green’s Chief Executive, Alan Woods. “And what’s doubly annoying is that this material could be re-used by people in the developing nations.”
The Salvation Army noted that it currently has a network of clothing banks dotted across the and every item “popped in the slot” is sold for a nominal price either in the UK or overseas. The funds generated are then used to create jobs in Britain as well as help financially support some of the thousand and one “helping hands” offered daily.
The Salvation Army believes that by joining forces with Going for Green, they will encourage councils to site more banks in towns and cities across Britain and help raise awareness of what damage is being done to the environment by people dumping their togs in the bin.
“How we dispose of our unwanted goods is one of the most crucial issues of the day” continued Alan Woods. “We create 28 million tonnes of waste each year, of which just over 6% is recycled. Our environment simply cannot cope with such an influx, so now is the time to ditch our throwaway habits and get used to recycling.”
Garth Ward, The Salvation Army’s National Recycling Co-ordinator commented: “You recycle paper to save trees! You recycle cans to save resources! You recycle glass to save energy! Why not recycle clothes… to save people?”
Transport fears
The campaign has attracted some comment from within the textile recycling sector. While the publicity is seen as very welcome, other collectors are keen to ensure that Salvation Army banks do not start appearing on existing sites or in between existing sites in a way which could promote non-environmentally friendly collection of material.
One merchant said: “I believe that we have reached the point where many councils have enough clothing banks. Too many banks can make collections unviable because unlike glass or paper, clothing banks have to be emptied more avoid to avoid the clothes going damp. Too many banks which are not full could mean too many vehicles travelling around.”
A spokeswoman for Going for Green said that the organisation, which is largely funded by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, would be promoting the use of Salvation Army banks, “although the message would be to use other banks if there were no Salvation Army ones available”.
Subscribe for free