Byronswell solution for unwanted clothes

The average piece of clothing is disposed after less than a third of its useful life. Usually, old clothes and shoes end up in a landfill. This is the worst possible solution. By contrast, giving unwanted clothes a second chance, Byronswell helps terminally and seriously ill children in the UK and poor families in Eastern Europe and Africa. Moreover, environmental damage is reduced and people gain the satisfaction to have done something useful.

What we can collect?

Here is a summary of what is collected by Byronswell: 

Bag Collections	Textile Banks	No Thank You
wearable clothing paired shoes towels sheets blankets curtains jewellery cosmetics bric a brac household items toys videos, cd's and dvd's	wearable clothing belts, hats and handbags paired shoes towels sheets blankets curtains	soiled items carpets rugs electrical goods glass metal paper rubbish liquids

I have received a bag showing the name "South West Textiles" - is this ok

Yes. With the charity's approval in some areas Byronswell are using up stock of older bags bearing the names of highly reputable recycling companies which have previously supported Dreams Come True, i.e. "European Textiles" and "South West Textiles". Donations of items in these older bags are definitely included in the monthly collection data received by the charity.

How to support Byronswell charity

Donors across the UK are asked to donate unwanted clothes, shoes and household items using the official collection bags delivered by Byronswell. Those who want to actively support Byronswell can also organise one-off collections in their councils, schools or churches.

 If there is a need, Byronswell will provide local communities with collection banks to facilitate their donations of clothing and shoes. Byronswell operates a special protection scheme to safeguard the donated goods from theft and so-called bogus collectors. All such incidents are immediately reported to the police. Besides, members of the public can use a helpline or the company’s website to directly contact Byronswell.

The company itself does not work in a legal vacuum, since people or organisations collecting money or goods for charitable purposes are legally bound to provide accounts showing the amount of money they have raised and passed to charities.

The code of best practice

Byronswell Code of Best Practice

Here are some of the key points from the Code of Best Practice:-

• Monthly data reporting to the charity
• Regular meetings and reports to review progress and any problems
• Training and feedback sessions for the Byronswell team
• ID cards for all drivers and collectors
• Charity's logo and registration number on all vans
• Full information on our website
• A link on the Byronswell website to www.dctc.org.uk

Byronswell partnership with Dreams Come True in textile recycling

Byronswell is pleased to announce the launch of a new recycling initiative with the goal of building charitable donations from the recycling of textiles and other household items to at least £200,000 pa and that Dreams Come True is to be their exclusive charity.

Byronswell has previously trialled this concept and has also recently carried out extensive research. As a result, Byronswell has decided to increase business, starting in the South of England during the early months of 2011.


Read more on DCT official website: Byronswell partnership with Dreams Come True

Door-to-door collections managed by Byronswell

The door-to-door collections managed by Byronswell are transparent and straightforward. Donors receive waterproof bags bearing the distinctive logo and name of Dreams Come True to make their donation of unwanted textiles, shoes or household items. The leaflets attached to the bags inform about all collection details. Byronswell collection vans are marked with the Dreams Come True logo. Company’s collectors wear uniforms and carry ID cards. They are not allowed to make any business deals with donors. Moreover, Byronswell and Dreams Come True have not only concluded a formal agreement to regulate their relations, but also adopted a joint Recycling Code of Best Practice to establish how donated textiles and other items should be properly collected.