MY name is Paul Ozanne and I’m the national recycling co-ordinator for Salvation Army Trading Company.

I hope that a combination of Christmas and the sales mean your wardrobe is currently full of clothes you enjoy wearing and take pleasure from.

I suspect however there are also plenty of items in there which are no longer worn and destined only to leave the house if they are in a bin bag for the rubbish collection.

In fact UK rubbish bags are filled with over one million tonnes of textiles every year, which ends up in landfill, causing great damage to our environment.

This is a situation the government and the fashion industry is keen to address and the subject is at last receiving the attention it deserves.

Recycling your clothes, whether by taking them to one of The Salvation Army’s 255 charity shops or 3,600 clothing banks, enables them to have a new lease of life and helps The Salvation Army to run its social and community work throughout the UK.

This work includes a network of 57 homeless shelters, programmes that support children, young people and families, residential centres for older people, a family tracing service, and help for those suffering from addictions.

All items can be put to good use for clothing or making items such as mattresses: Salvation Army Trading Company recycles clothes, shoes and textiles; from shirts to skirts, trainers to trousers, and even soft toys.

Textile recycling also creates and maintains paid and voluntary jobs, as admin staff, collectors, factory staff and drivers.

Currently only 16 per cent of what is possible is being recycled so there is huge scope for improvement.

If you would like your unwanted clothes to be passed on and benefiting someone, somewhere, then I would urge you to take the time to seek out our local banks or shops in your area.

To find out where your local clothing bank is located please visit www.satradingco.org or for further information visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk Paul Ozanne, Salvation Army Trading Co.