Post-Consumer Textiles (PCT) Collections and Logistics
- PCT Collection Trials
- Industry Roundtables
PCT Collection Trials
Every year, the UK generates over 1 million tonnes of post-consumer textiles (PCT). About a third of these are non-wearables textiles that end up in landfills or incineration. To give these textiles a second chance and empower consumers to bring them into the loop again, the project has launched various textile collection trials in collaboration with both project partners and external organisations.
These trials were part of a broader effort to gain insights on optimising post-consumer textile collections and improving the management of non-rewearable textiles for a more sustainable textile economy. The trials are now complete, and you can learn about the insights gained, including analysis, conclusions and future opportunities by clicking the link below to request the report.
Retail carpark trial
Tesco and Salvation Army Trading Company Limited (SATCoL) has placed textile collection banks at 18 Tesco carparks and 2 household waste recycling centres in the Southeast of England. Citizens visited these locations and donated wearable and non-wearable textiles in the designated banks. The trial ran from February 2024 to October 2024.
Retail/ charity postal trial
In partnership with Oxfam, Marks & Spencer offered its customers the chance to donate preloved clothing by mail for the first time. Customers were asked to separate rewearable and non-rewearable textiles into separate bags and sent these back using a prepaid courier service.
Retail postal trial
From September 2024 until October 2024, Reskinned provided a chance to responsibly dispose of unwanted clothing, regardless of the brand or condition. Interested individuals sorted the clothes for rewear or recycle and sent them to Reskinned via post. Specific instructions can be found here.
Local authority trial
Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire, England partnered with Textile Recycling International (TRI) to encourage its residents to donate their old clothing and textiles. There are 10 donation sites across Kirklees, each with two collection bins: one labelled “Too Good to Throw Away” for rewearable items and another labelled “Worn Out” for items that are no longer suitable for reuse and could be recycled. This trial completed at the end of October 2024, but the banks remain in place for residents to use.
In-store trial
Crisis UK ran in-store textile collection trials in two of its stores (Peckham and Elephant & Castle) from July to October 2024. The charity invited the local community to donate their clothes and textiles by sorting them into two categories: ‘Wear Again’ for items in good condition and ‘Worn Out’ for those not suitable for reuse.
Postal trial
Home retailer Dunelm and SATCoL partnered for a postal takeback service for home textiles and clothing. Interested Dunelm customers signed up on the Dunelm website and received a free shipping label with clear instructions on how to separate items for reuse from those that are worn out and only suitable for recycling. The trial concluded in December 2024, but the service remains on Dunelm’s website for customers to use.
Industry Roundtables
As part of the project, Reskinned also hosted a roundtable in June 2024 to explore innovative ways to capture the increasing amount of unwanted clothes and textiles in the UK and direct them towards a more circular fashion system.