to read the full report - Ecolateral by Peter Jones

Evaluation of Opportunities for Converting Indigenous UK Wastes to Wastes and Energy
AEA/ED45551/Issue 1
5.4 Textiles Waste Arising
Background
It is estimated that more than 1 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every year, most of which is
post-consumer waste. At least 50% of the textiles that are thrown away are recyclable. However, the
proportion of textile wastes reused or recycled annually in the UK is only around 25%. 136 Besides postconsumer
waste, post-industrial waste arises during yarn and fabric manufacture, the garment-making
processes and from the retail industry. Textile waste arises as standard in two waste streams: MSW and
C&I.
Current Arisings
Several sources have identified the proportion of textile waste in MSW as approximately 1.9%. 137
Meanwhile C&I textile arisings are estimated to be 1-2% of the waste stream in Section 4.2.
Table 42 Estimated textile waste arising in the UK by region in (‘000 tonnes)
Region Textiles
Textiles Total
(1.9% of MSW) (1.5% of C&I)
East Midlands 46 121 167
East of England 58 98 156
London 79 113 191
North East 29 69 98
North West 77 125 202
South East 87 133 219
South West 56 83 139
West Midlands 57 109 166
Yorkshire and Humber 54 167 221
England - Total 542 1019 1560
Northern Ireland 20 24 44
Scotland 65 80 145
Wales 34 117 151
UK - Total 661 1239 1900
Current Disposal Methods
At present, the majority of post-consumer textiles are collected by charities such as The Salvation Army,
Scope and Oxfam. Such collectors sort the material, selling it on to merchants in the appropriate sectors.
The Open University Household Waste Study shows that there has been a year on year increase in the
proportion of households served by kerbside recycling collections for textiles: 16.8% in 2002, 29% in 2005
and 44.7% in 2008.
Some post-industrial waste is recycled as part of in-house procedures. This is more common in the yarn
and fabric-manufacturing sectors. The rest, aside from going to landfill or incineration, is sold to
merchants via textile reclamation factories that can handle a huge tonnage of textiles. The main routes for
the material are:
• High quality second hand clothes and shoes are resorted for sending to charities in the UK
and use in developing countries.
• Lower quality textiles which are worn out are processed within the factory to produce
industrial wiping cloths.
136 Textile recycling information sheet, Waste Online, http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Textiles.htm, Analysis of household
waste composition and factors driving waste increases - Dr. J. Parfitt, WRAP, December 2002.
137 Open University Household Waste Study, Jones, A., Nesaratnam, S., Porteous, A., 2008, Defra: 1.9%, National Household Waste Arising Survey:
1.8% after recycling
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