The proposal was agreed at a meeting of the newly formed Forum on Recycled Textiles (FORT) which was held yesterday during the annual conference of the Textile Recycling Association.
Garth Ward, of the Salvation Army, who chaired the FORT session, said: “We need to be environmentally friendly and it does not making sense having different operators taking vehicles to empty banks on the same sites which may not even be full.”
Janet Meddings, stock co-ordinator, for the charity SCOPE said she fully agreed with this. “We strive to be environmentally friendly and one collector having extra banks on a busy site is also a compensation for the bad sites.”
The code of practice is also likely to be expanded to cover areas of activity including health and safety issues for textile recycling. And, the TRA is expected to talk to others involved in bank sites because of the possible need to develop co-ordinated policies.
Price rises
Market reports to the association’s annual meeting saw Phil Race highlighting the “peaks and troughs of supply” in 2000.
With prices currently rising for charity rags (material from charity shops) and also for textile bank material, Mr Race warned that securing material should be done “through quality of service and not by a reckless increase in prices.”
He added: “This would undoubtedly spiral out of control, hurting the industry when it is already suffering as it is almost impossible to increase export clothing prices.”
Currently demand is said by textile merchants to be very good, with Africa keen to buy lighter weight material. Prices paid overseas have not risen but the UK material is keenly sought because of quality and because the pound has weakened against the dollar. The extra demand is prompting shortages of material in some areas of the UK as collectors compete for used clothing. See also letsrecycle textile prices.
Issues affecting supply currently include the recent wet weather and possibly the fact that the UK had a poor summer last year so less lightweight clothing may be available for recycling.
Some merchants, however, consider that the supply of material to banks and charity shops in the UK is now evening out over the year with the public willing to use banks throughout the year.
The annual meeting also saw Keith Barnes of Advanced Wipers step down as president. He is succeeded by Elliot Cohen (pictured) of IG Cohen of Manchester who in the mould of George W Bush will take up the presidency in April. Elliot is following in his father Gerald’s footsteps – he was president for three years from 1995.
Mr Barnes said that he had enjoyed his short term of office and was of the view that for the TRA to survive and prosper, reform is vital.
He said there had been encouraging developments over the past year, including the creation of FORT and the TRA’s membership of the Recycling Industries Alliance.
At the meeting committee member Terry Ralph (right) presented a gift to Peggie Watterson, the popular TRA secretary, who is leaving the association. Her successor is Steve Wingate.
Subscribe for free