The mix should reflect all the categories sold e.g. shirts, dresses, jackets etc. The usual composition should not be changed due to bulk sales of particular items (e.g. cotton clothing sold as cleaning rags) unless specifically agreed with the merchant.

Packing: water-resistant sacks (e.g. polythene) at a weight convenient for shop handling, storage and collection, usually 8 to 10 kg unless specifically agreed that an alternative packing method is more suitable e.g. hessian sacks for shoes.

Used textiles, shoes and handbags should all be packed separately.

Specifications for purchase of rags for conversion into wiping cloths

The grades reflect those recovered on a regular basis by British merchants.

General requirements

• Moisture content and tensile strength All rags supplied to manufacturers must be dry and be of strong texture.

•  Used wipers No rag which has been reclaimed from use as an industrial wiper shall be included in any grade.
• Cleanliness All material must be commercially clean.
• Size All material must be of a size to produce a wiper of not less than 23cm x 30cm.

Specifications by grade

• White wipers No 1 Light weight cotton rich woven material, commercially clean. No silk, wool nylon or other synthetics.
• White wipers No 2 Medium weight cotton rich woven material, commercially clean. No silk, wool nylon.
• Light and dark print Light weight cotton rich material, commercially clean. No silk, wool or knitted synthetics.
• Coloured wiper Medium weight material, commercially clean. No silk, wool or knitted synthetics.
• Hosiery Light and medium weight knitted cotton material, commercially clean. No silk, wool or knitted synthetics.
• Candlewick Mixed white and coloured tufted all cotton material made in the form of bedspreads or bathrobes. Must be free of bath mats or heavy material.
• Towels: white or coloured 100% cotton towels or bathrobes, commercially clean. No synthetic material.
• Blue or white polycotton workwear Must be commercially clean. Must not contain heavily soiled/stained material such as paint or solder. No jackets.
• Blue or white cotton workwear Must be commercially clean and must not cotnain heavily soiled/stained material. No jackets.

letsrecycle.com price specifications

Three textile prices are shown on letsrecycle.com:

Textile bank – this reflects the amount that may be paid to a local authority or a waste management company, usually by a collector for material from textile banks. The payment may be amended if the local authority has to pay a bank hire fee or an element of the collection costs and if a donation is made to a charity.

Shop collections – this price indicates the amount which may be paid by a collector to a charity shop for clothes the shop has not sold to the public directly.

Charity rags – this is a general term for material, usually well-presented, delivered to the factory of a larger textile collecting business which often exports used clothing.