WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), a UK environmental NGO, has officially launched the Textiles Collections Transition Programme, funded by investments from three retailers: NEXT, Primark, and Tesco. The programme is dedicated to reshaping how post-consumer textiles in the UK are collected, sorted, reused, and recycled.

Key Points

  • The latest WRAP research shows that nearly half (49%) of UK post-consumer textiles are thrown into residual waste, equivalent to 546,000 tonnes.
  • WRAP estimates that the cost of collecting and sorting waste textiles has reached £88 million per year, and the industry faces a "survival crisis."
  • The first phase of the programme has produced the report "Transformative Practice in Textiles Collection," with the final blueprint expected to be published in spring 2027.

Phase one focused on mapping existing good practice and identifying opportunities and potential solutions to improve post-consumer textile collection, with the findings compiled into the report "Transformative Practice in Textiles Collection." The programme is now entering a practical co-creation phase, which will involve a series of stakeholder workshops to develop a "Co-created Impact Plan," with the final blueprint scheduled for release in spring 2027.

WRAP CEO Catherine David said that transforming textile collection is an industry-wide challenge that no single organisation can solve alone; the investments from NEXT, Primark, and Tesco demonstrate the leadership needed to move from vision to action and will help build a system that works for the entire industry.

WRAP's research data reveals the severity of the problem: about 49% of UK post-consumer textiles are treated as residual waste, meaning 546,000 tonnes of textiles are discarded by households. The programme aims to move more textiles out of residual waste and dry mixed recycling channels, maximise their value through reuse, create better conditions for fibre-to-fibre recycling, and support a "fair, transparent, and financially sustainable" industry.

WRAP and others warn that the post-consumer textiles industry is facing a "survival crisis." WRAP estimates that the cost of collecting and sorting used textiles is currently £88 million per year. The organisation believes the industry's continuing losses stem from the fact that revenue from reusable clothing is no longer sufficient to cover the cost of processing non-reusable textiles. WRAP stresses that maintaining functioning infrastructure is "essential to avoiding system collapse," protecting the economic and social value created by the reuse and recycling sector and ensuring textiles flow to their highest-value uses.

Although investment in sorting technology, fibre-to-fibre recycling, and recycled content continues, WRAP points out that the demand side still needs an effective textile collection system as a "critical link."

Catherine Ogun, Sustainability Manager for Non-Food at Tesco, said Tesco is committed to reducing waste and supporting a circular future for textiles; by supporting WRAP's programme to transform the textile collection system, it aims to bring together organisations across the value chain to develop practical, scalable solutions that improve collection, extend material lifespans, and unlock greater reuse and recycling potential across the UK.

Source: WRAP launches new global Textiles Collections Transition Programme · Originally published 2026-10-12