Textile collectors raise concerns over licensing

An increasing number of textile recycling companies are having their applications for door-to-door clothing collection licenses rejected by councils, with charities receiving favourable treatment in some cases, according to the president of the Textile Recycling Association, Gerald Cemmell.

Speaking at the association’s annual general meeting, held in London this week (February 14), Mr Cemmell said there was an “inequality” in how councils were applying rules on licensing which outline how much of the money made by companies or charities running collections must go to charitable causes.

The rules are laid down in the 1939 House-to-House Collections Act, which requires a fair proportion of the proceeds of a collection to go to charity for a license to be granted.

Mr Cemmell claimed that, while most councils were taking a “sensible and pragmatic” view to interpreting this, some were now only granting licenses if 75% of the proceeds of a collection were to go to a charitable causes.

Explaining this did not take into account the “huge costs” of running a collection, he added: “There appeared to be an inequality with who the councils were applying this rule to.

“In simple terms some charities were claiming that 100% of their proceeds went to their charitable cause when it was obvious that these charities and our collecting companies had similar trading costs and that the likely amounts going to the charitable cause from all collectors whether charities or commercial collectors were on average 5-10% and never over 20%.”

Describing the rise in license refusals as a “major concern”, Mr Cemmell noted that the Textile Recycling Association (TRA) had been working with the National Association of Licensing and Enforcement Officers and the Institute of Fundraising to develop “fairer and more cohesive” draft guidance for licensing officers in England and Wales.

This, he said, “recognises the true costs of collections for commercial companies and charities”.

The issue of licensing for door-to-door textile recycling collections was brought into focus last month, when the civil society minister Nick Hurd chaired a round-table meeting which sought to address concerns over misleading and bogus collections (see letsrecycle.com story).

Theft

In his address to the AGM, Mr Cemmell also referred to the “unprecedented increase” in theft of textiles from both door-to-door collections and textile banks, as prices for textiles continue to increase.

And Alan Wheeler, national liaison manager for the TRA, told letsrecycle.com that this week’s meeting was attended by Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Head, head of economic crimes at the City of London Police.

His attendance followed meetings the TRA has had in recent months with the police as it tries to convince them to treat textiles theft as a priority, and Mr Wheeler said that Mr Head told delegates that his unit has already been in touch with police forces throughout the UK to advise them of the nature of this crime.

“As a direct result, a notable rise in the number of arrests has occurred. The TRA, a number of charities and police are now working together to gain further intelligence in order to tackle the criminals responsible,” he added.