Textile recyclers urged to be on their guard

Addressing the TRA annual meeting last week, president Terry Ralph welcomed increasing interest from BERR and Defra in promoting textile reuse and recovery.

This has been best illustrated by Defra's sustainable clothing roadmap project, which was launched as part of a wider sustainable consumption programme in May last year (see letsrecycle.com story) .

However, Mr Ralph warned that any potential benefits for the recycling sector – such as recycling credits or new technology – were at risk of being snapped up by retailers and manufacturers who were only paying “lip service” to recycling.

While Mr Terry said some organisations such as Marks and Spencers and TK Max had already introduced retailer take-back schemes (see letsrecycle.com story) which “had their place” in the reclamation arena, he urged recyclers to be on their guard and to promote themselves as the “major textile recycling industry in the UK”.

He said: “We must be careful to promote our sector as the major textile recycling industry in the UK. If we don't do this we will miss any of the recycling advantages that may become available through various government departments.”

“The retailers, manufacturers and multi-national waste companies will vie for any form of recycling credits that may be available. We must guard our livelihoods and not be marginalised by pretenders for our industry,” he added.

CRR

At the meeting, the TRA revealed that it had joined the Campaign for Real Recycling – which is campaigning for an end to commingled collections in the UK. This follows many textile recyclers calling for textiles to be collected separately at the kerbside (see letsrecycle.com story).

The TRA has also started looking at how an eco tax levy on clothing is being introduced in France, in order to determine whether such a scheme might work in the UK.

The possibility of introducing such a producer responsibility scheme is to be debated at the next stakeholder meeting for Defra's Sustainable Clothing Roadmap of March 31- suggesting that the government considers it as a real option.

The debate will be chaired by TRA secretary, Alan Wheeler.

Recycling

With textile sustainability so high up the government agenda, Mr Ralph told the meeting that it was  time to lift the low prices paid for recycled material.

He said: “We must be aware that real recycling does not mean downcycling. The prices now obtained for our recyclable products are actually less than they were 30 years ago, whilst original textiles are 20 times the cost.

“Whilst the initiative to recycle textiles is on the boil we must seize our opportunity to regain the high ground,” he added.