WRAP has warned charities, local authorities and consumers will have to pay the cost of dealing with unwanted used textiles if the UK’s used textile sector goes under.
The global environmental action non-governmental organisation (NGO) predicts the cost of the used textiles sector collapsing would be £64 million per year. The costs would come from gate fees for local authorities for disposing of used textiles.
The £64 million increase in costs would happen alongside an ‘immediate impact’ on the environment, WRAP says, with an increase of ~2.5 million tonnes CO2e per year due to the increase in landfill and incineration.
A new report released by WRAP estimates that the cost of collecting and sorting worn-out textiles in the UK is £88 million per year.
Last year, the Textile Recycling Association warned that the textile recycling industry is on the brink of ‘imminent collapse’ due to global market challenges.
The (charity) sector now faces a crisis, with storage rooms up and down the country bursting with unsellable stock that collectors refuse to take.
If the sector goes under, WRAP warns charities will lose income, and existing collections and sorting will not be able to operate.
The NGO says Councils will also have to choose between sending more material to landfill and incineration, paying more for collections, or increasing council tax.
Without funding support, WRAP warns to expect costs of up to £200 million per year by 2035 should the burden fall on councils to collect and dispose of our unwanted clothes.
WRAP says the cost for collectors and sorters to gather and process the UK’s used textiles was previously balanced out by the money they made on reusable items.
However, this is no longer the case as fewer reusable items are desirable in global second-hand markets. This means most businesses are currently operating at a loss and out of public service, which is unsustainable, WRAP warns.
Catherine David, incoming CEO at WRAP, commented: “The (charity) sector now faces a crisis, with storage rooms up and down the country bursting with unsellable stock that collectors refuse to take.
“The knock-on effects of this are huge, with charities struggling to generate revenue, and the circular economy for clothes grinding to a halt.
“There is a way out of this mess – we call on the sector to join us in realising the vision recommended in this report, and to work together towards creating a circular economy for textiles through ACT UK.”
WRAP has identified three solutions that could protect the industry: automatic sorting, Extended Producer Responsibility, and a redesign of retailer take-back schemes.
