KNOWLEDGE BASE

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. It is an alternative to “conventional” waste disposal which can save material and help lower greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling can prevent the waste of potentially useful materials and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, thereby reducing: energy usage, air pollution (from incineration), and water pollution (from landfilling). Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” waste hierarchy.

Textiles are nearly 100 percent recyclable. More and more people are choosing to recycle their old attire, whether it’s through direct charity shop donations, door to door collections or more conveniently through textile banks. The textile making process is energy and resource intensive. By recycling clothing, you are cutting down on the number of resources needed to produce new clothing. Some of the UK’s major retailers have gone into partnership with a national charity encouraging clothing donations.

A predicted 235 million items of the UK’s unwanted clothing are expected to end up in landfill sites, unnecessarily.

75% of consumers admit to “binning” their discarded items of clothing, usually because they are unaware that worn-out clothing could be recycled.