We call on retailers with excess inventory to make sustainable choices and donate items to us as WRAP launches Textile Action Week.

The call comes as WRAP (The Waste and Resources Action Program) launches Textiles Action Week (October 18-22, 2021), as part of its Textiles 2030 initiative.

How can we help retailers

We want to help fashion companies adopt better practices to keep their product in circulation longer.

We already work with several leading retailers, such as Marks and Spencer, and run a successful Brand Partnerships program, which means partners donate inventory that can be sold in our 712 stores across the UK.

This year, our brand partners are ready to help raise £ 8.6million for the important work of the charity and help prevent 71,000 tonnes of items from going to waste.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Executive Director of the British Heart Foundation, said: “This Textiles Action Week we want to encourage others to join the Textiles 2030 initiative, so that together we can build a textile industry. more sustainable and circular British. Although great strides have been made to improve practices within the textile industry, much remains to be done.

“Our 520 clothing and accessories stores across the UK and our online outlets – eBay and Depop – play a vital role in the reuse cycle. We rely heavily on brand partners who donate excess inventory as they provide much needed items to our store network. This year, by selling over 7 million pieces of pre-loved women’s and men’s clothing, we will prevent the waste of nearly 14,000 tonnes of clothing, while raising millions of pounds for life-saving research.

“We want to continue to collaborate with other fashion and textile brands who can support the vital work of the British Heart Foundation by simply donating their unwanted stock. This will help reduce waste, raise essential funds for research and bring us closer to creating a truly circular economy. “

We have a network of vans that can collect large amounts of stock directly from retailers across the country, making it easy to donate and helping us raise vital funds to support the 7.6 million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.

Textile 2030

Launched in November 2020, the voluntary agreement aims to bring together UK fashion and textile organizations to accelerate progress towards a circular economy and climate action within the textile industry.

As a founding signatory of Textiles 2030, we want to encourage other textile brands to consider signing the agreement and working with us.

Dr David Moon, Director of Collaboration and Change at WRAP, said: “The lessons and success of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan laid the foundation for Textiles 2030. SCAP was the first voluntary agreement from this type to measure and act within the UK textile sector. and the knowledge we gained from this agreement informed what needs to be done to make Textiles 2030 even more impactful.

“Sector-wide change is essential if we are to achieve climate goals and a circular materials economy, so we have collaborated with businesses, governments and other stakeholders to develop Textiles 2030. The public, Investment managers and policy makers all demand actions, sustainable products and evidence of results. We need more companies to show their commitment to take action through Textiles 2030, continuing and evolving the legacy of SCAP. “