Green Gang are asking for all unwanted textiles to be put in their new textile bank to promote recycling & help raise funds for their work. They had such a wonderful response to our Shoe Aid recycling collection last year that we have extended it to all clothes & textiles this year. Go on recycle your unwanted fabrics!

A study in 2009 found that 63% of people's clothing ends up in UK landfill sites, rather than being recycled or reused.Some of this clothes waste will go on to biodegrade to form methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. ( One of the climate Change Champions Rose came in to school last year to tell us her concerns about that). The YouGov poll revealed that British consumers spend £38 billion each year on new clothes, but only 16% of the clothes they throw out are recycled. According to the study, the average UK consumer spends around £600 on clothes a year and discards £400 worth. Out of nearly 2,000 people questioned, 39% said they did consider what impact throwing away clothes had on the environment. Green Gang think that is a terrible waste.

Unwanted textiles of any quality can be put in the textile Bank. But it is important that the textiles are dry, clean and in a bag.  Please do not donate soiled or wet textiles, by any quality we mean thread bear, even ripped or with buttons missing. You can donate adult’s and children’s clothes, paired shoes, hats, bags, belts, curtains, towels and bed linen (sheets, pillow covers, duvet covers). It is important that you remember to pair shoes by tying the laces together, or pair shoes with an elastic band.  We take all qualities of textiles, Good quality clothes can of course still be donated to local charity shops, there are plenty in Canton such as British Heart Foundation, Marie Curie, Arthritis Care. But please please do not just put them in the rubbish bin for Landfill.

Do not forget that any items school uniform can be recycled in the school itself, we all know how fast children grow and a spare school polo shirt, jumper or fleece always comes in handy. If you do have any items pleas leave them with Mrs Donovan at the main office for when we hold a UNIFORM SWAP event.

What Happens to the Textiles collected in the TEXTILE BANK ? Once the Textile bank is nearly full the fabric will be collected and sent to a sorting factory. The school gets a small amount based on the weight of fabric collected. The textiles are sorted into about 40 different types, graded according to quality for reuse or recycling.  Good quality textiles are exported to parts of Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, providing good quality affordable second hand clothing.  Poor quality textiles are shredded and used as mattress fillers and industrial wiping cloths e.g. for oil and printing industries.