Don’t forget to recycle your old school uniform

The holidays are over, pencil cases and school bags have been packed, and name tags sewn into new school uniforms – and Shropshire children are back to school for the beginning of a new school year.

It’s often an expensive time for parents as it can cost hundreds of pounds to kit children out in new school uniforms, with parents spending an average of £160.74 on a boy’s school uniform and £155.95 on a girl’s school uniform, according to charity Family Action.

However, with only 39% of us considering the environmental impact of throwing clothes away, and 1.4 million tonnes of clothing and shoes being sent to landfill each year, parents and children are being urged to recycle ‘grown out of’ school uniforms.

Bishop Hooper CE Primary School in Caynham, near Ludlow, is one of many Shropshire schools which operate a uniform swap shop, where parents can bring in their child’s old school uniform, which can then be given or sold to other pupils.  Schemes like this – which allow parents to recycle old school uniforms – are a fantastic option, saving parents money and helping the environment.

With similar schemes running in schools across Shropshire, parents are being urged to recycle the old school uniforms that their children have grown out of, or buy a ‘nearly new’ uniform for their child that’s clean, the right size and costs much less than the full price cost.

Councillor John Hurst-Knight, Shropshire Council’s deputy cabinet member with responsibility for waste and recycling, said:

“With children quickly growing out of their school uniforms and PE kit, it’s often the case that if there aren’t any younger siblings to pass the clothes down to, parents may just throw them away.  A much better option for the environment is to pass unwanted items along to school schemes, where the uniform can be reused.  You’ll not only be helping other parents, but could also restock your own child’s wardrobes at a much cheaper price.

“If the uniform or school shoes are worn out, or your school doesn’t offer a swap shop type resource, there are still other options rather than just throwing them away.  Textile waste is a valuable resource and can be taken to one of Shropshire Council’s Household Recycling Centres.  Reusable items are sold through charity shops, or sent to developing countries, and items not suitable for reuse are recycled into cushion stuffing.

“We all need to get in the habit of reducing, reusing or recycling our waste.”

For further details, contact your child’s school, or visit www.recycleforshropshire.com or call 0345 678 9007.