Generous Asda customers have donated 221 tonnes – over 4000 bags – of clothing, textiles and other bric – a – brac, at its sustainability store in Leeds, equating to over a tonne a week in its biggest weeks.
Through its partnership with The Salvation Army, Asda’s sustainability store in Middleton has provided customers with a drop-off point for their unwanted items, which in return is raising vital funds for The Salvation Army and Asda’s Tickled Pink charity beneficiaries.
Salvation Army’s shops have been temporarily closed due to lockdown restrictions, but Asda customers have still been able to support the charity by donating their unwanted items to the new ‘drop and shop’ donation point.
Coats, dresses, jeans, and baby clothes are amongst some of the clothing garments which are donated weekly in store. The charity has also received large amounts of other textiles including bed linen, shoes, CD’s and DVD’s, books and household bric-a-brac.
Asda has provided a convenient space for The Salvation Army’s drop and shop donation point, which has encouraged customers to recycle their unwanted items, which might otherwise have ended up in landfill.
Karen Todd, Asda’s Senior Manager for Zero Waste said:
“We’re really proud as a retailer to be able to support the great work of The Salvation Army in our communities and it’s been fantastic to see our customers and colleagues really support the drop off point in our Middleton store, which has been collecting huge amounts of donations each week.
Tackling the issue of waste is something that our customers and colleagues are passionate about us addressing, which is why schemes like this that support them to do the right thing for the planet are really important. Not only are the unwanted clothes and other items given a second lease of life, but they’re also being diverted from potentially ending up in landfill.”
Kirk Bradley, SATCoL’s Head of Corporate Partnerships said:
“We are thrilled to be working with Asda’s sustainability team on the new drop & shop concept. This enables us to interact with Asda’s customers and donors; it also gives more people the opportunity to reuse and recycle their pre-loved items which helps reduce waste and raise more money for vital charity work.
By donating to the Salvation Army drop and shop or ourclothing banks, people are supporting the work being done across the country to help some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, providing essentials like hot meals for rough sleepers, food parcels for struggling families and doorstep friendship for isolated older people, particularly during the pandemic.
In Leeds, when the pandemic hit, many support services offering emergency food were forced to close but Salvation Army churches were able to step in or increase their existing services. The Salvation Army’s Leeds West Hunslett and Morley churches provided emergency food parcels, with volunteers delivering food to people who couldn’t get to them for help, while its Leeds Central church prepared hot daily meals.”
In addition, Asda continues to support the Salvation Army right across the country, as customers can drop off their unwanted textiles at the charity’s clothing banks in over 400 of the retailer’s carparks.
In 2020, Asda collected over 8100 tonnes of unwanted textiles from over 400 store recycling banks in its carparks which have raised valuable funds for charities including The Salvation Army, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Asda’s Tickled pink campaign.
