Statement on Reduction in Clothing Banks

Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL) has made the difficult decision to reduce its clothing collection bank network around the UK.

Like many charity collectors, SATCoL is experiencing challenging market conditions. A combination of global, local and economic pressures has significantly affected the textile reuse and recycling sector and means we are no longer able to cover the full cost of collecting and processing donations through our clothing bank network.

Our profits go towards The Salvation Army’s community work and so we want to ensure every donation helps us raise money for the UK’s most vulnerable people.

Although the demand for second-hand clothing has increased in recent years in the UK, there remains an oversupply and we have to sell many donations on the international second-hand textiles market via trusted traders, similar to other charities and textile collectors. In recent years, there has been a huge increase in low quality second-hand clothes in circulation across the world which has significantly decreased the value of this market. This directly impacts how much we are able to help fund The Salvation Army’s essential community work which is why we have to make changes to how we operate.

Therefore, from February we will start to remove some of our clothing banks from locations across the UK but thousands of clothing banks will remain in place and be available for public use. You can also donate by post to us.

Aaron Johnson, SATCoL’s Director of Clothing Collection Division, said:

“We are always really grateful when people make the effort to donate their clothing. There are still thousands of Salvation Army clothing banks in operation but we understand it will be frustrating if you visit one that has been removed.

“We want to reassure our generous donors that we are giving careful thought to any decisions to remove clothing banks. We know that you want your donations to go towards supporting vulnerable people and reducing our clothing bank network will help ensure that your donations do just that.

“We are still in need of good quality second-hand clothing for sale in our charity shops and donation centres, and many thousands of these items are passed on to people who have very little or nothing at all. If your nearest clothing bank has closed, please use the map to see where the next donation point is or consider using our Donate by Post scheme.”

Customers and donors can find their nearest donation point and store using our easy-to-use map finder: Find Us - Salvation Army.

You can also Donate by Post.

FAQ's

Got an enquiry? Please get in touch:

Media queries: media@satcol.org

Bank queries (e.g. full banks): helpline@satcol.org

Partner queries (e.g. bank removals): partnerships@satcol.org

How can I donate to you?

Customers and donors can find their nearest donation point and store using our easy-to-use map finder: Find Us – Salvation Army

You can also Donate by Post

What happens to items donated to you?

We could not do what we do, and raise the millions of pounds each year to help those in need, without the help of our donors, customers, corporate partners and colleagues. Your generous donations support people in communities across the UK, and they make a positive environmental impact.

We always provide for those in need first and each year we pass on tens of thousands of donated goods, at no cost, directly to people who have little or nothing, through our shops, via The Salvation Army or other charities and community groups that need help. Donations to our clothing banks are sorted and available for resale in our stores, as well as exported. Across the charity sector, around 53% of textiles donated to charities are sold in store or online.

Donations to our charity stores are sorted in store by our staff and thousands of volunteers. We have c. 200 high street shops and 60 donation centres. Our donation centres are large-format charity stores that have open plan sorting areas so members of the public can see the sorting process and understand what that entails – many people will join us as a volunteer to help, and we are extremely grateful for this support.

Read about our impact, sustainable strategy and work with TRUST:

Sustainability - Salvation Army

Impact - Salvation Army

What work have you done to reduce the number of clothes and textiles going into landfill and waste streams?

As a charity textile collector, SATCoL has invested heavily in new services in the UK. In the last decade alone, we have opened new Processing Centres with increased sorting capacity, opened 60 large donation centres with a big focus on local reuse and recycling, and invested in state-of-the-art textile recycling technologies including Fibresort and Project Re:claim, in addition to c. 200 high street charity shops that we operate on behalf of The Salvation Army.

These investments in services supports our charitable mission as well as the sustainability goals of our customers, donors, communities and partners.

Has SATCoL been campaigning for industry wide change?

SATCoL continues to play an integral role in influencing and developing the future of textile reuse and recycling in the UK. We are at the forefront of sector innovation with our active membership of UK Textile Pact (formerly Textiles 2030) and UKFT. SATCoL has also been part of a major project known as ACT UK (Automatic-sorting for Circularity in Textiles) working alongside partners including WRAP.

SATCoL supports WRAP’s ten-point blueprint for a UK Textiles Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, developed through extensive engagement with stakeholders and partners across the textiles value chain through the UK Textiles Pact as announced on 28^th January 2026 (read more: UK Textiles Extended Producer Responsibility Blueprint | WRAP - The Waste and Resources Action Programme)

How can we decrease the volume of clothes in circulation?

We all have a part to play. Brand owners, manufacturers and distributors, as well as consumers.

Whether it’s fashion, homeware or other items, all producers are meeting market demand and needs. We have seen in the fashion sector, a real commitment by brands to develop textile ranges of the future with a focus on designing for circularity and, therefore, durability and recyclability. Upscaling textile recycling requires a seismic shift in business models, supply chains and expertise, and that’s why SATCoL invested in Fibersort and Project Re:claim. Read about two brands leading the way: SATCoL's Key Supporting Role in John Lewis' Circular Knitwear Collection - Salvation Army and School uniform brand blazes a trail for the circular textiles economy - Salvation Army

We are always encouraged by the growing trend towards sustainable and second-hand shopping in the UK – in the last year alone, SATCoL served c. 900,000 more people in our charity stores (an increase of 15% compared to the year before). But real change has to come through a sector-wide approach, driven by legislation, and a transition towards a circular textiles economy. A UK Textiles Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme will raise the priority of designing for circularity and supporting textile collectors and processors, and that’s why SATCoL supports WRAP’s ten-point blueprint - read more: UK Textiles Extended Producer Responsibility Blueprint | WRAP - The Waste and Resources Action Programme.

What can I do to pass on my clothes and textiles responsibly?

Reusing clothes remains the best environmentally friend way to pass on your clothes – whether that is handing on to family and friends or donating to a charity. Not only does it help provide affordable, good quality (and often very sought after fashion) it is also way more sustainable than buying new. Recent research (Textile reuse ’70 times better’ than the production of new garments - letsrecycle.com) shows how environmentally friendly it is to donate clothing, even when responsibly exporting overseas is part of the onward process.

Here are just some ideas to how you can reuse and recycle responsibly:

Our Restyle magazines are packed full of reuse, repurposing and upcycling ideas: Restyle Magazine - Salvation Army

Our step-by-step guides include helpful upcycling tips such as how to turn a duvet into a skirt and expert advice from top stylists: Step-by-step guides - Salvation Army

Listen to our Sustainable Conversation podcasts and learn how people are being part of the change: Choose longevity over trends – expert tips from The Sustainable Conversation Podcast - Salvation Army

Take part in a local Repair Café or Kilo Sale event – find out what events we have running here: Events - Salvation Army

Join a local repair group: Find a repair group - Community Repair Network

Join in Great Big Green Week and Sustainable Fashion Week – read more here SATCoL goes green! - Salvation Army and Charity store invites customers to hit the runway at Sustainable Fashion Week show - Salvation Army

Did you know that around 53% of textiles donated to charities are sold in stores or online? This means good quality clothes are being worn. We are on a mission to encourage more people to shop second hand in the UK – why not join the 6.9m people who shop in our charity stores each year. Find your nearest store here: Find Us - Salvation Army