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Clothing collections :
Leaflets, bags and labels

Headings on this page :

Note - This page only deals with the physical aspects of leaflets and bags - in other words their size, shape, materials etc.

Please see other pages for comments on their content - ie the wording and illustrations. For example see the Definitions page.

Introduction

Recently we donned our anoraks and looked at our collections of leaflets and bags, compiling the statistics below.

The information below covers all types of collections - irrespective of whether they're genuine, misleading or bogus.

Items delivered

We've put the items under the following headings :

1. Leaflets
2. Bags
3. Bag envelopes
4. Labels.

1. Leaflets

Collection leaflets are also known as 'flyers'.

• Size - Around 96% were A5 size (210mm x 148mm, ie about 8¼" x 6").
  The remainder were A4 (=twice A5).
• Format - Virtually all were portrait format.
• Single- or double-sided printing - Around 98% were single-sided.
• Paper colour - Around 60% were white; the rest were coloured (=slightly higher cost, but more attractive).
• Paper finish - Almost all matt, a few satin.
• Ink - There were examples of all possibilities :
  • black =the cheapest, but uninspiring
  • single-colour - eg blue
  • multi-colour - eg red and black, or blue and red
  • full-colour - eg with colour photograph =the most expensive. Rare (eg Just Help Foundation).

2. Bags

Size - Almost all the bags were standard-sized dustbin/refuse bags (typically 600mm x 900mm, ie 2' x 3').

Colour - A few bags were black, but most were white or coloured.
Most were opaque, but a few were translucent (eg 'Helping Arms'). We've never seen transparent ones used.

Plain or printed - About 50% of them were plain. The rest were printed (usually in only one colour) - with information about the collector, the collection and/or the good cause.

Printed bags are much preferable - it's then clear who supplied them and who they're intended for (once filled with donations). In some cases collectors have persuaded the police to prosecute thieves who have stolen filled bags. With this in mind, increasingly collectors (eg Clothes Aid) are including wording on the bag such as :

"This bag and its contents are the property of xxxxxx charity"

See the page on Thefts of collection bags.

On average, around 15% of clothing collections take place on the same day that the local council empties your bins.  So printed bags reduce the chance of the council taking the clothing bags in error (thinking that they're waste).

Materials used - All were polythene (the full name is 'polyethylene', abbreviated to 'PE'). There were examples of both types :

• high-density polythene (HDPE) =recycling code 2
• low-density polythene (LDPE) =recycling code 4

Plastic is a good choice - it's waterproof and strong, so it protects the donated goods in all weathers while they're in the street awaiting collection, and when handled by the collectors and transported.

Many of the bags had breathing-holes. These are a mixed blessing. They let unwanted air pass out easily (and may reduce the risk of suffocation). However, they allow rain and dirt to get inside, damaging the contents.

3. Bag envelopes

These days, many collectors put each clothes bag (folded) in a small outer plastic bag (called an envelope). Usually the envelope is then sealed. We call this a bag kit. This method is used partly because of safety concerns - it reduces the danger of suffocation for children and pets.

Most of our envelopes were around 240mm x 105mm size (about 9" x 4"). All were printed in landscape (horizontal) format. Several included a photograph (black and white). All were polythene.

4. Labels

These are an interesting alternative to leaflets. They're self-adhesive - peel off the backing sheet, and stick on a bag. The person donating provides their own bag and sticks the supplied label on it. Labels cost more than leaflets. However, they're easier for the donator. (With a leaflet you have to improvise when fixing it on - eg using Sellotape™ or string.) Because they're easier, collectors tend to get a higher donation-rate, so the extra cost may be recouped.

See the http://ClothingCollection.org/ website for photographs of clothing collection labels used in Ireland.

Types of delivery

We've come across four types of deliveries by collectors :

a.  Leaflet-only - The cheapest option. However, fewer donations result from this method as the recipient has to provide their own bag, and (optionally) fix the leaflet to it.

b.  Leaflet and bag - Usually they're rolled up with a rubber band around them. This method is less popular these days (eg because of the risk of suffocation - see above).

c.  Bag kit - Comprises (1) clothes bag, plus (2) outer plastic envelope, sealed. This method is increasingly popular. Originally only reputable collections used this method (eg Help the Aged, Scope, Clothes Aid). However, nowadays an increasing number of misleading collections are using this method too.

d.  Self-adhesive label - Rare in Britain.  More common in Ireland.

Cost of supplies

A person delivers around 1,000 items (leaflets and/or bags) per day - that's around 275,000 per year. So collectors buy their supplies in bulk, wholesale - and can negotiate good deals.

Making a wild guess, we'd estimate the costs per item as :

• Leaflets - 0.4p?
• Plain bags - 0.7p?
• Bag kit (clothes bag in sealed plastic envelope, both printed) - 2.5p?
• Self-adhesive labels, A5 to A6 size - 1p?

If you know any of the real costs, please contact us.

Environmental aspects

Statistics - Our figures indicate there are around 100 million deliveries of clothing collection leaflets or bags in the UK annually.  We estimate around 30% of these are bags.

On the face of it, the most environmentally-friendly method is leaflet-only.  Then the only bags used are those provided by the homes which are donating clothes - in other words around 3% (see the page on collecting the bags for details).  Furthermore, paper leaflets are more 'green' than plastic bags.

However, in practice more people donate clothes when there's a bag provided.  So the issue isn't clear-cut.

Recycling of bags - Note that recycling them only saves the materials, not the energy used to produce them. See the Re-use and recycling page.

Collection bags are made of the same materials as shop carrier bags (polythene).  So, they can be recycled at any supermarket which has carrier-bag recycling facilities.

Biodegradable collection bags are rare.  However, they're becoming more common.

Related pages

• Clothing collections: Delivering leaflets and bags - and collecting the bags
• Theft of filled collection bags
• The pages under the drop-down menu heading called "Examples of collections"
• Choosing the best method to donate your goods
  (charity shops versus re-use/recycling centres versus house-to-house collections)
• Re-use and recycling

 

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