The UK Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has officially launched the Textiles Collection Transition Programme, aiming to redesign the UK's used clothing collection, sorting, reuse and recycling system and to produce an industry-wide action blueprint by spring 2027. Next, Primark and Tesco have provided seed funding for the programme.

Key points

  • The UK generates about 1.45 million tonnes of post-consumer textiles each year, around 21 kg per person, of which nearly 49% flows into general waste or inappropriate recycling channels.
  • Sorting non-rewearable textiles runs at a net loss of about £426 per tonne; without structural change, this could cost UK local councils £400 million by 2035.
  • WRAP has published its first report, Transformative Practices in Textile Collection, and will subsequently work with brands, policymakers and waste management experts to design the final blueprint.

Root of the loss: the more collected, the more lost

The data released by WRAP reveals the core contradiction of circular textiles: the processing cost of the recycling system already exceeds the value recovered from the materials. The report estimates that operators' net loss on sorting non-reusable textiles is about £426 per tonne, because collection and sorting costs are higher than the amount these materials can be monetised for. The report warns that without intervention, this financial pressure could translate into a public financial burden of up to £400 million by 2035, falling on UK local councils.

This means simply increasing collection volumes cannot solve the problem. The recycling chain can only keep running when the system finds financing and an outlet for materials with almost no resale value.

Three priority tasks

WRAP has set out three directions for the new collection system. First, make it easier for consumers to dispose of or donate old clothes, including channels such as kerbside collection and retail reverse logistics, to recover old clothes and fabrics more conveniently. Second, establish a fair and transparent cost-sharing model across the value chain, taking into account the collection and sorting costs of both rewearable garments and low-residual-value textiles. Third, improve the quality of collected materials and reduce processing costs, thereby providing more suitable feedstock for fiber-to-fiber recycling and turning textile waste into the fibers needed for new products.

Industry collaboration will determine the success of the 2027 blueprint

WRAP CEO Catherine David said the challenge requires a coordinated industry-wide response, and the initial investment from Next, Primark and Tesco demonstrates the leadership needed to move from intention to implementation. Nicholas Lambert, Head of Circularity and Materials at Primark Cares, noted that effective textile collection is the foundation for building a more circular fashion industry, and that improving collection and management helps recover more value from existing materials.

After the first report, WRAP will work with brands, policymakers and waste management experts to design the final industry blueprint. For the used clothing export and recycling industry, the signal from this programme is that the UK is trying to shift from "collecting more" to "collecting affordably, sorting effectively, and having an outlet"; the direction of its cost-sharing mechanism and reverse logistics channels will directly affect the volume and structure of used clothing supply.