Buying clothing is an important investment and can be a large part of the budget in many households. In the UK, the average household has clothing worth about £4,000, with as much as 30% of these garments not having been worn within the last year. Sadly, instead of recycling, reselling or donating all of their unused clothing and getting as much out of their investment as possible, nearly half of those in the UK will throw some of their unwanted clothing in the trash bin.
It is estimated that more than 30% of all clothing in the UK ends up in the landfill. Studies have shown that over 90% of textile waste is capable of being recycled, whether it’s reclaimed as used clothing for export to underprivileged areas abroad, reprocessed as filler material for car seats, upholstery or insulation, or converted to cleaning cloths or industrial blankets. 90% of textile waste that ends up in landfills can be decreased to 7%, if people were willing to donate unwanted clothing to charity, sell it to resale shops or at car boot sales, or place it in donation banks in car parks, such as those provided by Savanna Rags throughout England.
Recycling clothes isn’t just beneficial for the environment; it’s good for the pocketbook as well. By mending or altering a piece of clothing, the need to purchase a replacement is eliminated. Simple repairs are inexpensive and easy to make, especially with help from online experts or local alterations shops. Selling clothing, whether through a shop such as Cash for Clothes, an online outlet, such as EBay or a car boot sale is also an excellent way to recover some of the initial cost of clothing.
This can also be an additional way for churches, schools, sports clubs, or other organisations to raise funds for projects, activities, equipment or trips. It is as easy as organising a clothing drive and then contacting Savanna Rags to pick up the garments. The percentage of the proceeds the organisation receives can be put towards their fundraising goals.
Charity shops benefit from donations of gently used clothing and shoes by using the profits of the sales to fund their charitable missions. By using Savanna Rags, the business also receives monetary compensation for the garments that don’t sell.