A report published by the Textile Recycling Association (TRA) has shown a significant decrease in textile theft across London.

‘Textile theft: An evaluation of used textiles theft and bogus collections in London’ was funded by the London Waste and Recycling Board, and written by the TRA, textile recycler LM Barry, and door-to-door clothes recycling service Clothes Aid.

Based on research conducted over a 12-week period, the study monitored theft from textile banks and door-to-door collections in the London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Lewisham, Redbridge and Sutton. These particular boroughs were selected to give a representation of the economic and social structure of London, and the organisations involved operate there.

Report is the ‘first of its kind to quantify actual theft in a defined geographic area’

According to the report, said to be the ‘first of its kind to quantify actual theft in a defined geographic area’, less than two per cent of used textiles collected door to door in London are being stolen, and bogus charity collections are now less common.

Indeed, previous estimates have suggested that up to 15 per cent of all used clothing donations were being stolen, costing UK charities around £50 million a year.

However, the study revealed that the number of thefts reported to the police within the M25 area has gone down from 110 in 2011 to only 14 so far in 2014.

Although thefts from textile banks are higher, it is still lower than previously thought. Indeed, the research found that approximately 4.7 tonnes of textiles could potentially have been stolen from 32 different banks across three boroughs during the period of the trial – a loss representing around 10 per cent of the total amount of clothing collected during the trial.

Recommendations

According to the working group, improvements in monitoring, clothes bank design, enforcement, and prosecutions have all reduced the amount of theft, along with the fact that the current market price of used clothing has fallen dramatically. (Alan Wheeler, Director of the Textile Recycling Association, has previously told Resource about the effect of lower prices for used clothing.)

It adds that there are several things that charities can do to reduce theft, including: using textile banks with ‘chute openings’ rather than ‘letter box’ style openings; having more frequent collections for both textile banks and door-to-door collections; and providing’ clear identification, transparent information and relevant contact details’ to householders about the charity, to help them make an informed decision about whom they donate to.

Other recommendations include:

• establishing relationships with other collectors and charities to create information networks and alliances may provide protection against illegal operations;
• providing householders with a checklist to identify whether a charity bag is genuine or bogus;
• giving advice to householders and other users on how to report suspicious activity; and
• understanding the market and dedicating greater resources during times of high value.

“The vast majority of donated clothes are being collected as they should be”

Speaking of the report, Michael Lomotey of Clothes Aid said: “This research has confirmed what we have been seeing on the ground within our network over recent months.

“We believe that the decrease in doorstep collection thefts can be attributed to the rise of proactive policing on these types of crimes. We are working closely with the police providing information on thefts across the country, and have found that local forces are becoming more and more diligent at prosecuting the ring leaders.”

Ross Barry, from LM Barry, also commented, saying: “In the last year we’ve seen a definite reduction in theft, and that’s partly as a result of introducing stronger banks and improved chute designs which have stopped people either climbing in or cutting the bank open. But 10 per cent still represents a reasonably high percentage, so using the recommendations from this research, we’ll keep improving bank designs to cut down on theft – while making sure they remain easy for the public to use.”

Wheeler added: “It’s really good to know that the vast majority of donated clothes are being collected as they should be, with much of the money raised going to charitable causes or for the benefit of the tax payer. We had anecdotal evidence that thefts were in decline but no solid figures to reassure the public.”

Find out more about the state of the textile market in Resource 78.