Charity North London Hospice has teamed up with a recycling firm to ensure all its donated clothes are reused

North London Hospice Ghana trip — Emily Cronin from North London Hospice with traders in Ghana

North London Hospice has teamed up with a recycling company to ensure any unsold clothing from its charity shops are reused – with Ghanian traders now benefiting from the deal.

Items donated to the hospice’s 18 shops throughout Enfield, Barnet and Haringey are a vital source of income for the charity, helping to pay towards free end-of-life care for 3,500 North London patients a year.

However, the hospice does have to discard donated items which are not suitable for sale or which remain unsold. Now there is an answer to this problem which has taken Emily Cronin, retail transformation manager at North London Hospice, all the way to Ghana.

Sait Recycling specialises in the sustainable recycling of all types of garments and footwear, transforming surplus textiles into high-quality recycled fibres to support a circular fashion economy. They collect from charity shops and organisations across the UK, with North London Hospice now added to the scheme. Through this partnership, items are sent to Ghanaian traders.

Emily’s Ghana trip was organised and paid for by Landfills2Landmarks. She led workshops for students, met with the Ghanaian minister of state for climate change and sustainability, visited fabric factories, attended a conference and worked with volunteers at Jamestown beach.

The collaboration will see the introduction of “textile traceability”. Through software tracking, North London Hospice will be able to follow donated textiles beyond the shop floor, “building a more transparent, ethical, sustainable and circular supply chain”.

Emily said: “North London Hospice will be sending 195 tonnes of clothing and 28 tonnes of shoes to Sait recycling every year. I am thrilled to be part of this global project with Sait, dedicated to addressing the urgent challenge of textile waste and advancing the circular economy innovation.

“The Landfills2landmarks conference brought together global leaders and industry stakeholders to drive meaningful change. It’s exciting to be part of this vital journey.”

North London Hospice’s director of retail, Peter Brook, added: “This is a shining example of the transformative power of sustainable charity retail. As an organisation we are so proud to support Emily as she leads the way in us creating a more responsible future for our sector. This visionary initiative is not only good for our charity but will also set the sustainability standard for other charity retailers in the UK.”

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