‘Fast fashion’ forces closure of 27 Salvation Army clothing banks

Residents in parts of Devon may notice changes to their local textile bank service, as twenty-seven Salvation Army banks are due to be removed at the end of January 2026.

Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL), on behalf of its parent charity, has worked in partnership with the Devon Authorities since 2016 to provide a textile recycling service across Devon.  A recent SATCoL statement explains the reasons:  

“Following a strategic review of our clothing bank network in response to changing market conditions, and to ensure long-term sustainability and responsible stewardship of donations, we are adjusting our clothing bank network. This change will enable us to use our resources more effectively to manage the unsustainable volumes of used textiles across the UK. 

“As part of this review, a number of clothing banks will be removed. However, many other banks remain available for public use, and we continue to expand our network of more than 250 charity stores. These changes allow us to maximise fundraising capabilities, minimise costs, and redirect resources to other impactful reuse and recycling services. 

“We are grateful for the continued support from members of the public, our donors and partners. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and encourage customers and donors to locate their nearest donation point and store using our easy-to-use map finder: Find Us – Salvation Army” 

The review follows a difficult period in the global textile market, which has been struggling for several years. Fast fashion, and now ultra-fast fashion, has flooded the textile market with low quality and low value garments. It’s estimated that more than two tonnes of clothing are bought each minute in the UK, more than any other country in Europe. That amount produces nearly 50 tonnes of carbon emissions, the same as driving 162,000 miles in a car. In one month alone, the carbon footprint of new clothes bought in the UK was greater than flying a plane around the world 900 times (Oxfam). 

Clothing that needs repairing can be taken to a local Repair Cafe, where volunteers can undertake basic repairs such as sewing on buttons, mending holes, fixing hems etc for free, although a small donation is welcome. A map of Repair Cafes can be found on the Recycle Devon website. 

Residents impacted by the service changes can recycle their textiles as follows: 

• Find an alternative textile bank using the Recycle Now locator 
• Take textiles to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre  
• Many high street clothing retailers provide textile recycling facilities in-store – check with your nearest store for more information 
• Donate to your local charity shop – please check beforehand that they are accepting donations. 
• Arrange a doorstep collection from Anglo 
• Some local councils accept small amounts of textiles in the household recycling collection service.  Please check here to see what your council accepts.