Sustainability

ECS Textiles is focused on promoting recycling and operating in a greener way. We do this by continually investing to ensure we streamline, reduce plastic and collect stock in a more economical way – this is at the heart of everything we do.

We sustainably reduce waste generation by promoting reuse and recycling over disposal. Ensuring we divert clothing, shoes, handbags, belts and cosmetics away from landfill protects our environment, provides employment for our local community and raises vital funds for outstanding charities.

70% of people around the world wear reused clothing. At ECS Textiles, we want to raise that to 85%.

We provide educational material to nurseries, schools and colleges, to teach the next generation about recycling and its benefits.

More than 300,000 tons of used clothing go to landfill in the UK every year. Around the world, an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created each year. That is a rubbish truck full of clothes going to landfill every second. Many textiles that do not go to landfill are burned instead. This releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming.

Due to fast changing fashion and customer needs and tastes, most of a garment’s lifespan is artificially shortened. Industry figures show that some clothing may last 2–10 years, suits and coats last about 4–6 years, but most other clothing, such as T-shirts and underwear, lasts only 1–2 years.

The main reason most discarded clothing cannot be recycled is the material it is made from. The fabrics we drape over our bodies are complex combinations of fibres, fixtures and accessories. They are made from problematic blends of natural yarns, man-made filaments, plastics and metals.

For example, a 100% cotton T-shirt contains many other components such as labels and sewing threads which are usually made from another material like polyester. Similarly, a typical pair of jeans is made from cotton yarn which is generally blended with elastane, and other components such as zips and buttons and polyester sewing thread and dyed using a range of dyes.

This makes them hard to separate into different fibres and material type so they can be effectively recycled. But they can be reused. Your unwanted clothes can be worn again by someone else.

Working together, we can reduce the number of textiles ending up in landfill or being burnt and increase the percentage of reused clothing. We make giving easy: with very little effort from you, every donation helps the environment, supports our local community and raises vital funds for charities.