- UK homes contain an estimated 330 million items of unused home textiles which have the potential to be used, reused or recycled*
Dunelm, the UK’s largest homewares retailer, has partnered with The Salvation Army to launch an online textile takeback scheme which will help tackle textile waste.
As part of the trial, customers can visit Dunelm.com to generate a free shipping label, choose a courier and select a convenient place to drop off their used home textiles. The scheme will accept anything from bedding and cushions, to throws and blankets, as well as unwanted clothing. All textiles from the scheme are then sent to The Salvation Army to be resold or recycled, helping to prevent unnecessary waste and extend their useful life.
The new partnership will encourage customers to help divert more items away from disposal by separating textiles into ‘reusable’ and ‘non-reusable’ items, with clear guidelines given.
The items do not have to be exclusively from Dunelm, they can be from any brand, making this a convenient solution to tackle nationwide textile waste. The trial is a part of ‘ACT UK’, a two-year project led by UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) to support the transition from the manual sorting of clothes and textiles that can’t be re-sold to a highly automated sorting and pre-processing system.
The profits received from the resale of items will be given to The Salvation Army to continue to support the great work they do across the UK. The Salvation Army provides practical help for people in need, including specialist support for survivors and potential victims of modern slavery, shelter for those experiencing homelessness and so much more.
The trial builds on Dunelm’s existing store-based textile take back scheme. In 175 Dunelm stores, customers can take back unwanted textiles, with the scheme currently collecting c.100 tonnes of unwanted textiles for reuse or recycling each month.
To learn more about how you can donate visit: https://www.dunelm.com/info/about/take-back-scheme.
Christina Downend, Head of Climate Change & Sustainability at Dunelm, commented: ”At Dunelm, our approach to sustainability is focused on being Good & Circular. This trial extends our existing takeback scheme, giving customers a digital option to send back their unwanted home textiles without the need to visit a store.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with The Salvation Army on this convenient solution so customers can help to reduce unnecessary waste whilst supporting the fantastic work being done across the UK for people in need.”
Kirk Bradley, Head of Corporate Partnerships at The Salvation Army, added: “We are thrilled to introduce this new scheme to support Dunelm with their sustainability ambitions. Online Take Back Schemes are one of the best ways to donate your unwanted items, and we are excited to be able to offer this to Dunelm’s customers.”
Adam Mansell, CEO at UKFT, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Dunelm and The Salvation Army to give old blankets, cushions and other home textiles a second chance at life. We need to ACT now to tackle the staggering amount of textile waste that ends up in landfill or incinerated each year. Through this trial, we’re aiming to encourage people to separate their items so that in future, unwanted home textiles can make their way to an automated sorting facility and then be recycled into new products here in the UK.”
* WRAP, Citizen Insights: Estimating the Longevity of Home Textiles in the UK (2023)
