The homelessness charity said that an estimated 1.6 billion items of unworn clothing sit in UK homes.
The scheme is in collaboration with the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) and is currently running in Crisis stores in Peckham and Elephant and Castle until the end of September.
Crisis has said that there is a lot of confusion for consumers as to which of their item class as “rewearable” or “non-rewearable” which can lead to high volumes of clothes that cannot be resold – due to being ripped or having shrunk for example – being unnecessarily wasted.
The recycling scheme aims to tackle the issue by helping the public sort their donations when they come into the store. Customers will also be provided with informative materials to assist with pre-sorting in the future.
Homelessness and textiles recycling
With homelessness on the rise in the UK, Crisis has seen a 25% increase in demand for its services across Great Britain.
By shopping or donating items, Crisis has said customers are ensuring the organisation can continue its work to end homelessness.
Paula Floyd, e-commerce manager and lead on the project at Crisis, said: “Homelessness is at record levels. That’s why it’s so important that our Shop from Crisis stores can do everything they can to help create a future free from homelessness.
“Clothing waste is a real problem, both in terms of its environmental impact and the value of the clothes lost. Pre-sorting clothes will allow our customers to cut down on waste while supporting our goal of ending homelessness for good.
“Working collaboratively means that it is easier to find innovative solutions in the fashion and textile industry. This is why being part of the ACT Take-Back project, with the support of UKFT, can be a key step to changing consumer’s mindsets and making it easier to recycle.”
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