Mancs are being urged to help stop more than 16,000 tonnes of textiles from going to waste each year by donating their unwanted clothes.
After shocking new figures revealed that a whopping 16,700 tonnes of textiles was sadly put into Greater Manchester’s general waste bins within the last year, Greater Manchester Combined Authority(GMCA) has teamed up with Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) to launch a bold new campaign called ‘Cotton On’ and work towards tackling the problem head on.
For the new campaign – which is aptly called ‘Cotton On’ – local residents are simply being encouraged to recycle their old, damaged, or unwanted clothes instead of throwing them away.
With the concept of ‘fast fashion’ still, unfortunately, going as strong as ever, it’s believed that each person in the UK chucks 35 items of clothing into the general waste every year on average – with old socks, ripped jeans, and stained t-shirts being some of the main culprits socks.
Your old clothes can have a new life. 👖👚
Even if they’re ripped or stained, they can be recycled at your local textiles bank. ♻️
While many people will consider parting ways with their unwanted clothes by donating them to charity or selling them online, GMCA and R4GM is keen for its new campaign to highlight the fact that damaged clothes and textiles can also be recycled, instead of thrown away.
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Greater Manchester already has a large existing network of textile banks, including at all of the region’s 20 recycling centres.
You can also find loads of others in supermarket carparks and large clothing stores too.
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All the textiles donated by residents are sorted here in Greater Manchester, and when the clothing is in a state of disrepair so much that it can’t be re-worn, this doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road, as the material is then recycled into something new like animal bedding, carpet underlay, and even things like car seats.
Mancs are being urged to donate their unwanted clothes to help stop 16,000 tonnes being thrown away / Credit: Crew | Maude Frederique Lavoie (via Unsplash)
Cllr Tom Ross, who is GMCA’s lead for Waste and Recycling, says that the thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown away each year is “damaging” to the region’s ambitions to be carbon neutral by 2038.
“Under Government plans, these extra carbon emissions will lead to increased costs for the GMCA and individual local authorities, so it’s great to see this campaign underway to raise awareness of what Greater Manchester residents can do with the unwanted or damaged clothes in their home.
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“It’s a fantastic example of what R4GM does to make recycling simple.”
Seven in 10 NHS workers think the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic
Emily Sergeant
A new survey has revealed that seven in 10 NHS workers believe the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic if one should arise.
After the recent meningitis B outbreak in Kent last month raised the conversation of mass contagion once again, of course following the COVID-19 pandemic, a new YouGov survey of more than 1,000 NHS workers has now uncovered how well prepared staff in the health service think it is for another global pandemic.
The results show that 69% of staff surveyed think the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic, and to make matters worse, 26% of those even say it’s ‘very poorly’ prepared.
Only one in five (22%) think the NHS is could properly handle another pandemic, but statistically, YouGov claims none of those surveyed said it’s ‘very well’ prepared.
Seven in 10 NHS workers think the health service is ‘poorly prepared’ for another pandemic / Credit: Pxhere | Rawpixel
When workers were asked how the NHS’s level of preparedness now compares to prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 41% did concede that they think it is better prepared now than 2020, however 37% admitted they think it’s no better prepared.
16% actively think it’s less well-prepared now than it was prior to 2020.
This marked a new era of ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’ in the NHS, with the league tables delivering on the Government’s promise to drive up standards, tackle variation in care, and ensure people get the high-quality service they rightly expect.
Every trust in England – from urgent and emergency care, through to elective operations and mental health services – will now be ranked quarterly against ‘clear and consistent’ standards.
Featured Image – Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
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Seven people arrested in Salford over plans to conduct coordinated mass shoplifting campaign
Emily Sergeant
Seven people have been arrested in Salford over plans to be part of a coordinated mass shoplifting campaign of ‘high end’ retailers and supermarkets across the country.
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), it is believed the group had been training for ‘non‑violent direct action’ in Salford as part of a coordinated mass shoplifting campaign, where they were intending to steal goods from high‑value stores and major supermarkets across the country, and then redistribute them to places such as food banks.
Working in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police Service, officers arrested one male and six females in Salford yesterday afternoon (Sunday 19 April) on suspicion of conspiracy to steal.
They all remain in police custody for questioning.
It has been reported in multiple sources, such as the BBC and the MEN, that the individuals arrested are believed to be part of the Take Back Power Action Group.
Take Back Power Action Group describes itself on its website as a ‘nonviolent civil resistance group’ that is aiming to ‘put the 99% in charge’ through citizen’s assemblies.
“We are ordinary people from all walks of life who believe that in order to fix Britain, taxing the rich is an essential first step, and we want ordinary people to decide how,” a statement on the group’s website declares.
Speaking following the arrests over the weekend, Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said: “This joint operation with the Metropolitan Police has resulted in the arrests of seven individuals who we believe were planning to take part in coordinated national activity targeting high‑value retail stores.
“We are taking robust action to disrupt this type of organised criminality, and it will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester.
Emily Sergeant -
27th August 2024 
