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Textiles

A stitch in time

We need to shake up the clothing supply chain, address issues at the re-use and recycling end, and create a new business model for the fashion industry, reports Alan Wheeler, director of the Textile Recycling Association

Challenges that can't be brushed under the carpet

Significant progress has been made in recycling carpet waste in the UK, and manufacturers, retailers and recyclers alike are working to improve rates, but some issues – such as segregating the waste, encouraging reuse and more sustainable design – still need to be addressed, writes Laurance Bird, director of Carpet Recycling UK

Dress sense

It seems the used textiles industry currently faces more challenges and uncertainty than ever before – from doubts surrounding the fallout of Brexit to countries banning imports of used clothes. But, as Geraldine Faulkner discovers, there are some glimmers of light

Losing the thread

The textile recycling industry is enduring turbulent times, not helped by the misconception abroad that restricting used clothing imports will help to protect local producers. The answer is for the industry to secure new markets and be less reliant on exports, says Alan Wheeler, director at the Textile Recycling Association

Bed bug

With one estimate that 62,000 mattresses are being sent to landfill every week in the south east of England alone, cowboy recycling operators rife and many legal ones going out of business, it’s no surprise that one observer talks of ‘a massive mattress problem’. Maxine Perella reports

Clothing industry wakes up to sustainability

The amount of clothes we purchase has soared, meaning more sustainable actions by consumers and industry have enormous environmental knock-on effects, such as reducing textile waste to landfill and cutting the carbon and water impacts of production. Alan Wheeler, national liaison manager at the Textile Recycling Association, reports

Threats to the UK's used textiles sector

The value of used clothing remains depressed, partly due to UK textile bank operators facing much higher charges than their continental counterparts. But one major issue stands out – the push in East Africa to ban clothing imports in a misguided attempt to protect the area’s textile industry. Alan Wheeler of the Textile Recycling Association reports

Challenges and double standards in used clothing

As many RWW readers already know, the UK used clothing industry has been going through a difficult period, particularly since the start of the year. Values across all grades have dropped by around 25% to 30%. Alan Wheeler, director of the Textile Recycling Association, reports on the latest developments and reflects on the conundrum of national costumes.