Welcome to Recycle with Michael
Learn about the recycling scheme that can raise money for your School or Activity group, for charity and help to plant trees across the UK . Our scheme will show and educate the importance of reducing waste and helping to sustain our planet.
Michael is The Salvation Army's top recycler, travelling to Primary schools and Activity groups across the UK collecting clothing and shoes that children and their families no longer want or need.
We want to encourage children to help Michael by donating their preloved clothing and shoes, which helps:
The environment
Your school or Activity Group
The Salvation Army
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army support vulnerable and disadvantaged people across the UK and the rest of the world. Their work reaches people from all walks of life, including those experiencing homelessness, addiction, unemployment, poverty, modern slavery & loneliness.
The Salvation Army Trading Company, the commercial arm runs the UK's largest clothing collection scheme, with a network of over 9,000 clothing banks and 250 charity shops. The operation allows the public to donate their pre-loved goods to charity with ease and stops textile waste being disposed of, with currently less than 1% of donations received being sent to landfill.
Recycle with Michael allows this initiative of textile donation to be introduced into schools and activity groups in a fun and appealing way, encouraging children to think about the environment and enabling schools and groups to raise money for themselves and for charity.
To find out more about The Salvation Army, visit their website here.
Environmental Credentials
Textiles are the UK's fastest growing household waste stream. By reusing and recycling textiles we can greatly reduce the amount we send to landfill and give unwanted items a new lease of life.
As we work to a target of zero waste, less than 1% of what we collect through our clothing collection initiatives in the UK is sent to landfill while the other 99% is reused or recycled.
To help achieve our goal, we are a key stakeholder and steering group member of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) as well as a signatory of the SCAP 2020 Commitment, which is a voluntary initiative that aims to improve environmental and ethical performance. Read more here.
Register today and start your recycling adventure
How it works
When you sign up to Recycle with Michael, there is no big commitment or contract to sign – it is up to you how little or often you want to make a donation.
When you organise a donation day, we will send you collection bags for pupils to fill with their unwanted clothing and shoes and bring back to school. We also provide downloadable support materials, including posters. We will then organise for one of our authorised collectors to pick up the donations.
We follow this with a report of how much you have donated and send a certificate for you to display at your school. The money raised from the sale of your donations is split equally between The Salvation Army and your school.
Working nationally with schools throughout the UK, we will provide you with the following:
A pack of branded 'Recycle with Michael' bags
Appointed collection date for a SATCoL collector to attend
A display certificate showing volumes of textiles collected and funds raised
Social media coverage if appropriate
What happens next?
You can plant a tree with the proceeds. We work in partnership with the National Forest and with just £15 they will plant a native broadleaf species (Oak, Silver Birch, Wild Cherry, Hornbeam, Lime, Hazel etc) at a National Forest site in either Leicestershire, Derbyshire or Staffordshire. Your school will receive a certificate to confirm the tree dedication; and as all sites are open to the public, we’ll send details should you wish to visit the woodland where your tree has been planted.
Alternatively, you can choose to receive 50% income share of the current textile market price for your donations and receive a payment by BACS payment directly into your school or PTA bank account
**Payment will be made once the minimum of £25 is reached through your donations. If by the end of the year the minimum hasn't been acquired, anything outstanding will be paid directly into your school or PTA bank account.
Image credit: Courtesy of National Forest