How to find your local clothes bank

Make positive environmental change by donating your unwanted clothing to a textiles recycling bank

In a fast-paced, fast fashion, fast, fast world, it’s no wonder that the UK is now the second-highest exporter of second-hand clothing around the globe; higher than Germany, China, France and only just trailing the USA.

Our demand for cheap, fashionable, and deliver-to-me-now attitudes, has grown from years of constantly evolving clothing brands, the internet’s efficiency, and the power, driven by demand that big brands have to create clothing cheaper than ever before.

This has created a problem and a big one.

If someone at the school gates or work’s cafeteria asked how to find your local clothes bank, would you know the answer? Do you know? Maybe it’s right opposite your house, or you know of one just down the road? The point here is, for most of us, we don’t know, and it seems far too easy to just throw our used, unwanted, and unloved clothing that is freshly bought only last season, straight into the bin.

But it just gets sorted at the landfill, right? Wrong.

Whilst the UK exports are high, the numbers of wastage are shocking. Nearly 10% of all greenhouse gases come from thrown-away clothing.

You can turn off your light switch, recycle your waste and drive an electric car, but unless you are being as diligent with your clothing, we are taking a step forward and then two steps straight back again. The surge in demand for cheap, fast fashioned clothing has a knock-on effect on the environment and a far wider reach including employee wages, with the lowest paid usually being women.

Good condition clothing can be cleaned, re-packaged, and sold again. Whilst clothing that isn’t in the best condition can be recycled and made into something new, like a car seat, plane seat, padding, new clothes, or pretty much anything you can think of! It’s the life cycle of clothing and for it to end in your bin is not only sad but just another nail in the coffin of our environment, worker’s wages, and the environmental challenges we face here in the UK.

Take a minute to find your local clothes bank

So next time you are at home sorting through your clothes, take a minute and ask yourself how to find your local clothes bank, because we’re all in this together and together is when we can start to make positive and impactful change.

The benefit of recycling your clothing extends far beyond the scope of our self-conscience too. Millions of pounds are raised through clothing donations for countless charities, providing funds for local community projects in the UK or drinking water, homes, and schooling for those in desperate need of overseas aid.