The trial is aimed at enabling the charity’s network of collectors to empty the banks in the most efficient way possible.
One of the largest textile reuse and recycling operators in the UK, in June the Salvation Army fitted 104 of its collection banks in the East Midlands with Farsite netBin sensors. Based in Basingstoke UK and Shenzhen China, FarSite has developed a variety of data communication products and services for the business sector.
Monitoring
As filling patterns of textile bins are often sporadic and difficult to predict, and collection is expensive, the netBin sensors alert collectors when bins need to be emptied.
The new monitoring technology will give insight into the filling patterns and general behaviour of donors. With this information, The Salvation Army aims to reduce collection costs as well as process donations from the public with improved efficiency.
Pre-empting unnecessary collections as well as overflowing bins, the monitoring technology addresses some recent issues with textile bins and collections. In January, collectors voiced concerns over textile bank contamination due to wet weather (see letsrecycle.com story) whilst councils and textile recyclers faced criticism around the same period over textile banks overflowing during the festive season (see letsrecycle.com story).
Income
Brett Simpson, head of development for Salvation Army Trading Company— which runs the textile collection service — hopes that implementing monitoring technology could generate more income for the charity.
Mr Simpson said: “As one of the largest collectors of donated clothing in the UK we are constantly seeking ways of improving the efficiency of our operations to make sure we raise the maximum amount of money for The Salvation Army.
“The ability to get accurate fill levels on a timely basis could be a real step forward in the planning and emptying of our network of over 6000 clothing banks. This exciting trial with FarSite will help us learn just how big this step can be.”
Salvation Army Trading Company manages a network of charity textile banks across the UK collecting thousands of tonnes of donated items per year, with generated income used for a variety of programmes to support vulnerable people in communities across the UK.
Hear from industry experts the key issues facing the textiles recycling sector at the National Textiles Conference on 5 October. More info: www.textiles-conference.com
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