Where does your recycled clothing go after it has been collected? It’s a question you may have wondered and today we are here to answer it. Our journey has always been about providing those who are in need of clothing with it and so in short, once your clothing is collected your items will be recycled or reused ethically, with most being sent to Eastern Europe and Africa to provide people with affordable clothing.
Textile Consumption
Since 2010 the UK has consumed over 100,000 tonnes of clothing and that number continues to rise. The main reason for this rise in consumption comes from fast fashion brands and the popularity surrounding them. The clothing items these brands provide is less durable, meaning consumers own the item for on average less than three years.
The Journey
From the moment your clothing and shoes are collected by a member of our team, your recycled textiles begin their new journey. Our simple process of bagging up your clothing, selecting your charity, arranging a collection and then recycling or reusing your items, makes recycling clothing super-efficient.
Despite the high numbers coming from clothing consumption in the UK, the most positive numbers we’ve seen in the last year comes directly from our customers themselves. Here at Collect My Clothes, we have estimated that per year we’ve collected on average 3120 tonnes worth of unwanted clothing from you all. An incredible number that we are very proud to share. 3120 tons worth of clothing that would have ended up in landfill if it wasn’t for our service.
Once boxed up and placed on the van, our main focus is to ensure all clothing gets delivered to it’s correct new home, safely and efficiently. Different items will likely end up in different climates; for example you’re hats and gloves probably aren’t making it to Africa anytime soon. However, one thing all the clothes do have in common is that they are going to a place where they will provide affordable clothing to people who need it, such as someone who sells the clothing on to making a living to support their family or someone who needs to cloth their new baby.
Everyone has a different story and your clothing is helping to improve peoples quality of life all over the world.
So to get involved and follow our three step process to recycle your textiles, click here.
