Clothing banks

Clothes you donate to the Salvation Army have a bigger impact than you think.

An estimated £140 million worth of used clothing goes to waste every year - that's around 350,000 tonnes.

Binned clothes fill up landfill sites, raise greenhouse gas emissions, and harm the environment.

Put your unwanted clothes to better use. We run around 8,000 clothing banks, located all over the UK.

Everything you donate is re-sold, reused or recycled, helping us lessen our impact on the environment while raising money to support our projects throughout the UK. 

How we use your donations

Our charity shops, donation centres and clothing banks are operated by Salvation Army Trading Company (SATCoL). SATCoL encourage the reuse and recycling of second-hand clothing and large items, such as furniture.

All high-quality products donated to our charity shops and donation centres will be offered for sale in-store. Our staff and volunteers sort donations, and saleable items are cleaned (all clothing and home linens are steamed) and displayed on the shop floor.

Clothing donations we receive through clothing banks and door-to-door collections also end up on the shelves of our charity shops. Items sold here in the UK make the best profit for us, enabling us to help more people.

Any clothing we are not able to sell in our shops is sold for reuse overseas. We act responsibly with all donations, using them to raise essential funds for The Salvation Army and avoiding unnecessary waste going to landfill.

There is great need for pre-owned clothing in countries less affluent than the UK. There are many people who can’t afford new clothes, which makes second-hand Western fashions popular. It also gives charities a way to provide affordable clothing to those that need it, all while raising funds for good causes.

SATCoL is also a member of Textile Recycling Association and Charity Retail Association, and has recently been working with these groups and other charities to drive best practice through a collaborative initiative - the TRUST Forum. Trader Recycling Universal Standard (TRUST) has been established to identify common minimum standards expected, which will enable traders to achieve certification through an independent audit focusing on 5 key areas. You can read more about TRUST by visiting their website: https://www.trustmerchants.org.uk/