Associaiton says there is no evidence bogus charities are affecting clothes donations

A report claiming people are being discouraged from recycling clothes because of bigus charities has been branded irresponsible.

The Charity Retail Association said recycling charity Wrap’s report was “irresponsible.”

Among reasons for a increase in clothes going to landfill and not being recycled was "people’s suspicion of ‘charity bag’ collections, following negative press about the legality of operators in the UK", the report stated.

Robin Osterley, chief executive of the association, which represents charity shops, said Wrap should not have speculated about charity bag fraud there was a lack of evidence behind such assumptions.

"We are getting fewer complaints from the public, so we think it's irresponsible and naive to give this reason," said Osterley.

"If they don't know, they should not speculate. Our view is that the re-use market is pretty healthy. Donations to charity shops are increasing.

"Our members are healthier for stock than they have been at any time in the past."

Last year, MIchael Lomotey of Clothes Aid said that more than 60% of all charity bag collections undertaken in the UK are being done so by unlicensed or “bogus operators.

The British Heart Foundation stated that its losses alone were as much as £3m a year while Clothes Aid said its charity partners were losing £1.1m a year in lost income.”

A Wrap spokesperson said: "The charity sector is doing a fantastic job reselling clothes in the UK, from which it makes significant revenue for good causes. It provides an essential channel for reuse and recycling and Wrap's Love Your Clothes campaign is asking more people to join its Donation Generation this January and make donating to charities their number one option when having a clear out.”