Got nothing to wear? Do the January Sales tempt you to buy new clothes, shoes and other wearable treats? At this time of year, wardrobes are bulging with the old and the new. When you decide to throw out the old, please don’t just bin them!

All the clothes (including underwear) accessories and shoes you no longer want are valuable to someone. They may be last season’s fashion, have seen better days, or just be plain worn out – as long as they are clean, somebody wants them!

In Hampshire alone, 6 million pairs of shoes a year end up being buried in the ground – that’s an average of 9 pairs per household, and a terrible waste of shoes that could have been of so much use to so many people.

You could take them to a textile recycling bank – ask your district council Recycling Officer where to find it, or look at recycling in Hampshire to find a list of the recycling banks in your area.

If you put your clothes in a Salvation Army bank in Hampshire, they are taken to a sorting plant, in Kettering, where they are carefully separated into different types of clothing, which are then baled in mixed or similar item bundles, ready for market. The Army also responds to humanitarian requests for clothing from this country and abroad.

There are many markets for second hand clothes and shoes in countries such as Africa, the Baltic States, and eastern Europe. They are sold to wholesalers, and the profit is used to support the work of the charities. The wholesalers provide employment for local people; shoes are mended and clothing may be sold to local retailers who sell it on at markets, so providing a reasonably priced supply of clothing in countries where there is no local manufacture. In countries such as India where there is an established textile industry, clothing is supplied as a source of fibre, which is re-made into fabric suitable for the local industry. This is better than giving handouts because it builds the local economy and helps people maintain their dignity.

Garth Ward, national recycling co-ordinator at the Salvation Army asks, "You recycle paper to save trees, you recycle cans to save resources, you recycle glass to save energy. Why not recycle clothes to save people?"

You may be in two minds about whether to put your torn or worn out clothes into a textile bank, but there is even a use for these, as long as they are clean. They can be made into wiping cloths for industrial use, or shredded and used as mattress filler or the stuffing in the lining of cars.

The Salvation Army clothing banks are currently operating at only 25% of their capacity! There are plenty of uses for old clothes, but many of them find their way into the ordinary rubbish bin, and end up in a landfill site, costing us money and damaging the environment as they rot.

So … please think before you bin – it’s not rubbish – recycle it! Please take it to your nearest clothing bank.

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