Charities need to set the prices they ask textile recyclers to pay for rags at a more sustainable level if they are to avoid being left with unsold material.
That is the message from the Textile Recycling Association, which has sought to downplay reports from charities that recyclers are no longer interested in lower grade material, or rag, and only want to buy high-grade clothes that can be sold on to be worn again. Rag, such as ripped clothing, is traditionally used in applications such as wipers and mattress filling.
One charity in the Nottingham area told letsrecycle.com that it had been told by several textile collectors that they they dont take rags, only good quality to send abroad. This, they claimed, could lead to increasing amounts of textiles being sent to landfill.
The reports were corroborated by one North West textile recycler, who said: We dont do that much in charity shops but there must be something in it because were being offered charity shops which is something we dont normally get offered.
But, the scale of the issue was questioned by Alan Wheeler, national liaison manager for the Textile Recycling Association (TRA), who said: This is the first time I have heard of this.
Prices have continued to remain firm across all grades and I think that the suggestion of any grade of charity clothing being sent to landfill is somewhat premature.
The Charity Retail Association, which represents charity shops nationwide, also suggested the issue might be isolated, as researcher Cristina Osoro-Cangas, said: Its the first time Ive heard about this.
Ms Osoro-Cangas said there had been an average price rise of four pence per kilo every six months for material sold by charity shops and that there strong demand for material. But, she said that if charities were finding it hard to sell material, they should contact the CRA for help in finding end markets.
Prices
For the TRA, Mr Wheeler suggested that if charities were facing difficulties in moving all the material they werent able to sell in their shops, they should look at the prices they were asking textile recyclers to pay for it.
And, he also highlighted what he said was a decline in the general quality of material being offered by charity shops to textile recyclers, which he claimed was through a combination of more clothing actually being sold in shops
He said textile recyclers had reported that: The general quality of clothing and textiles coming out of charity shops has declined over recent years, as charity shops are seemingly creaming off more of the better quality clothing for sale in their shops and rotating clothing around the country.
Previously, only 20% of material received by charities was sold in shops, but Mr Wheeler said this was now nearer 50% on average.These sentiments were echoed by one Scottish textile recycler, who said that, while he had heard of collectors asking for higher quality material, this was understandable given the cost of processing and the quality of material charities offered them.
Processing costs 100 a tonne. Youve got to get good quality, he told letsrecycle.com. The charity shops are right in what theyre saying [but] theyre picking out the best cottons and trying to put good quality clothing to one side and then ask for a high price for whats left.
Market share
Mr Wheeler also claimed that some charity shops were getting collectors to outbid each other for material and force prices up, with collectors doing so in order to maintain their market share in the hope prices will drop again despite it meaning they operate at a loss.
If there are reports of merchants demanding higher quality of material from charity shops, it would seem as though this is being driven by the high price demanded by the charities, he said.
He added: If the charities want their collectors to accept all the used clothing and textiles that they cannot sell in their shops, it may be that it is now time to renegotiate the prices to a more sustainable level so that their collectors can continue to accept all grades.
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