CLOTHING & TOY REUSE DROP-OFFS

We receive regular reports from our recycling partner detailing the weight of textiles collected, the price per tonne, and the end destinations of all materials. This includes a breakdown of how much is reused, recycled, or disposed of, both in the UK and internationally. These measures ensure that your donation is handled responsibly and in line with our commitment to environmental sustainability and charitable impact.

The primary purpose of your donation is to support The Air Ambulance Service through recycling and resale of textiles. However, after collection, textiles may be processed for reuse or recycling in accordance with the waste hierarchy. This means that, where possible, items are reused or recycled, and only disposed of as a last resort. The end use of materials is tracked and reported, including details of whether items are reused, recycled, or disposed of, and in which regions or countries this occurs.

The value of your donation is based on the total weight of textiles collected. The recycling partner records the weight of all textiles collected from both household collections and textile banks. TRI International pay The Air Ambulance Service (TAAS) monthly an agreed amount per tonne collected, in line with the retail price index. These funds contribute towards the costs of delivering our charitable services and are directed where need is greatest, maintaining operational readiness and meeting patient needs across our service.

When you donate textiles through our donation banks and collection service, The Air Ambulance Service receives a payment from our recycling partner for every tonne of textiles collected. There are no additional processing fees deducted from your donation; the full value per tonne is paid directly to the charity.

There are three ways to donate your goods to us;

1. Bag them and drop into on of our clothing banks
2. Arrange a kerbside collection either using the branded bag you may have received or by calling our team
3. Take your items to one of our stores or donation stations

In our stores, we want donations of high quality second-hand items that we can sell on to others to raise vital funds including, household items, clothing, shoes and accessories, as well as toys and children’s items. We can’t accept ripped, broken, stained or any items with missing pieces, but if you’re in any doubt, get in touch with our team.

If you have items which are well worn or past their best, pop them in one of our clothing banks where they will be picked up for recycling.

You can find all about the clothing banks, collection services and store drops offs here.

All of our bags will have the information printed on the outer sleeve, including the collection day. If you’re unsure if this day has passed, please allow approximately three days after the delivery of your donation bag for this to be collected.

If your bag wasn’t collected as expected, please get in touch with us. To ensure the driver can see the collection, please make sure the bag is placed in full view of the road as we aren’t able to collect from porches or gardens.

We own all of our clothing banks, but we use a third party supplier (TRI) who manage the collection, sorting and recycling of donations.

Yes. Our kerbside collections support our retail shops with quality goods to sell, and we value your contribution as this helps to fund our frontline operation.

Our kerbside collections are operated by one of our subcontractors; DB Textiles, Recycling Management Services and Clothes Aid.

All of our bags will have the information printed on the outer sleeve, including the collection day. If you’re unsure if this day has passed, please allow approximately three days after the delivery of your donation bag for this to be collected.

This service is currently suspended. If you would like to be added to the contact list for as and when we reinstate this service, we will be happy to get in touch. Please complete our contact form or call us on 0300 304 5999.

If your local recycling bank is full, please contact Textile Recycling International on 03330 154 088.

For any other issues please complete our contact form or call us on 0300 304 5999.