ImagesMagUK_May_2021

www.images-magazine.com 44 images MAY 2021 Each year in the UK, one-third of a million tonnes of used clothes is incinerated or sent to landfill. Discover how you can create a take-back scheme to ensure unwanted garments are reused or recycled A ccording to environmental charity Wrap, clothing consumption in the UK is on the rise – ahead of many other countries – with about a million tonnes of clothing purchased annually. As well as buying a large number of garments, the British public is also binning a huge amount: around three hundred tonnes of unwanted clothing is sent by us to landfill or to be incinerated each year. Textiles take-back schemes, where customers donate unwanted clothing to retailers to be reused or recycled, are a key part of developing a more circular fashion industry, asserts Wrap. Its research shows that extending a garment’s life by just nine months can reduce its carbon footprint by 8% and its water footprint by 10% by displacing the need for virgin resources to create new products. “Including recycled content in new products is also key to reducing a product’s environmental impacts,” adds Wrap sector specialist Catherine Salvidge. “By implementing a take-back scheme, businesses can help extend the life of Take that back How to recycle unwanted garments clothing by supplying pre-loved clothing to the resale market and keeping textile products that are not suitable for resale or unwearable out of landfill by diverting them to recyclers.” Not only that, but it allows those selling garments to engage with their customers, who in turn are encouraged to act in a more environmentally friendly way. “Take- back schemes can increase brand loyalty, demonstrate corporate responsibility in a visual way and strengthen the shift towards circularity in textiles.” To help improve the rates of clothing reuse and recycling, Wrap has launched the Clothing Take-Back Guide (imagesmag.uk/WRAP-Retail-Clothing) , a comprehensive guide that details how retailers, brands and others selling garments can set up their own schemes to allow their customers to easily donate unwanted clothing. The detail Mention take-back schemes and some people might know that M&S or H&M have one. Currently, however, only 2% BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT of people use take-back schemes when donating their clothes. It’s a figure that Wrap is hoping will increase as more retailers and B2B sellers benefit from the advice contained in its guide. As well as examining the different options available to businesses, it includes real life case studies, information and advice on communications, detailed operational considerations, and helpful tools and resources to ensure success. For those with shops, such as schoolwear