Schools and organisations participating in the ‘Recycle with Michael’ scheme can donate proceeds to plant trees.
The Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL) has partnered with the National Forest to offer schools and youth organisations a new option within their Recycle with Michael scheme, allowing participants to convert textile recycling proceeds into tree planting projects.
Schools will be able to donate the money they raise to the National Forest, choosing from native broadleaf trees, including oak, silver birch, wild cherry, hornbeam, lime, and hazel, at designated sites in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
Students will then be able to visit the woodlands where their tree has been planted.
The ‘Recycle with Michael’ scheme offers a platform to raise awareness among students, while also encouraging them to reduce waste. The program encourages young people to take action against waste by donating clothing, handbags, and shoes.
Educational organisations that sign up will receive a pack of ‘Recycle with Michael’ bags for pupils to fill up with their unwanted clothes and shoes, which can then be returned to school for collection. SATCoL will send a representative to collect these donations.
As the UK faces increasing textile waste, with textiles being the fastest-growing household waste stream, the Recycle with Michael campaign aims to educate young people on the importance of reducing waste and rethinking the life cycle of everyday items.
Environmental impact
The initiative aims to address textile waste through practical action and education. By encouraging young people to donate clothing, handbags, and shoes, the programme helps divert reusable items from waste streams while raising awareness about waste reduction.
SATCoL currently diverts over 250 million items from landfill annually, including more than 67,000 tonnes of textiles. This enhancement to the Recycle with Michael scheme follows other recent initiatives, including the organisation's Reuse 2 Repurpose campaign launched in December.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.