Up to £400 million in unrecovered textile-sorting losses could fall on UK local councils by 2035 without structural reform, according to a new programme unveiled by WRAP with initial funding from Next, Primark and Tesco.

The Waste and Resources Action Programme, the UK-based environmental action NGO, published its foundational report, "Transformative Practice in Textiles Collection," as the first deliverable. The document maps current collection practices, identifies intervention points and sets out options to recover fabric before disposal.

What is the programme trying to fix?

The UK generates an estimated 1.45 million tonnes of post-consumer textiles each year, or roughly 21kg per person. Nearly half — 49% — ends up in residual waste bins or incorrect recycling streams rather than dedicated textile channels.

WRAP CEO Catherine David said: "Transforming textile collections is an industry-wide challenge that no organisation can solve alone. By investing in this programme, Next, Primark and Tesco are showing the leadership needed to move from ambition to action and help build a system that works for the whole sector."

How exposed are councils and sorters?

The numbers are stark. The global textile sorting sector has seen used-textile market prices fall 80% in recent years. For operators handling non-reusable fabric, the cost of collection and sorting now exceeds resale value by £426 per tonne.

WRAP projects that, without structural reform, those losses will translate into a £400 million financial burden on local councils by 2035. Sorting economics, not consumer behaviour, drive most of the cost.

What are the three workstreams?

WRAP has organised the work around three pillars:

• Citizen engagement: simplifying donation, making collections more accessible, and rewarding participation to lift diversion rates from residual bins.
• Fair system: building a transparent, financially sustainable model for collectors, sorters, charities, brands and processors.
• Fibre-to-fibre recycling: improving feedstock quality and cutting operating costs so recyclers can clear commercial thresholds.

The programme will explore alternative collection routes, including doorstep collections and retail reverse logistics, to capture fabrics at the point of disposal.

Who is paying?

Initial funding comes from Next, Primark and Tesco — three of the UK's largest apparel and grocery retailers.

Nicholas Lambert, head of circularity and materials at Primark Cares, said: "Primark is proud to be working with WRAP to help develop an industry-wide approach to the important issue of used textile collection."

"We recognise that effective collection systems are a critical foundation for a more circular fashion industry. By improving our understanding of how post-consumer textiles are collected and managed, we can help unlock greater value from existing materials and accelerate the transition to a more circular fashion ecosystem," Lambert added.

What happens next?

Following the baseline report, WRAP moves into a co-design phase with brands, policymakers and waste management operators. The aim is a 2027 Blueprint that aligns collection infrastructure with fibre-to-fibre recycling capacity and stabilises sorters' unit economics.

For sourcing and supply-chain teams, the immediate question is who absorbs the £400m council burden flagged for 2035 and how that cost reallocates upstream. WRAP's spring 2027 deadline gives the industry a fixed window to align on a model that keeps textile volumes out of residual waste and back into commercial fibre loops.