Fundraising for schools. Recycling for the planet.
Our award-winning school fundraising programmes Recycle 4 School and Dragon Bags supports thousands of recycling partners across England and Wales to recycle textiles ethically, sustainably and responsibly.
Through a variety of recycling options, including textile banks, boxes and one-off collections, Recycle 4 School and Dragon Bags have helped raise £millions for schools causes and divert millions of items from landfill every year.
Learn more and find out out how to join our programs:
A proven fundraising solution
We provide a free, easy-to-run service for collecting unwanted clothes and shoe, turning community donations into funds for your school.
Whether you’re based in England or Wales, our award-winning programme makes textile recycling simple, impactful, and educational, boosting eco credentials and providing a fun and engaging way to reduce waste in your community.
What We Provide
- Access to a textile recycling bank, indoor recycling boxes or one off collections - completely free. (Following site survey to see what is most suitable).
- Easy collections from our friendly local drivers.
- Free promotional materials including printable posters and social media graphics to support your collection drive.
- Free educational resources including a textile recycling powerpoint, monthly challenge worksheets, competitions and certificates.
- Transparent weight-based payments.
Learn more and find out out how to join our programs:
How it Works
Sign up online by completing our contact form on our Recycle 4 School (England) or Dragon Bags (Wales) websites
Our team will arrange to contact you at a convenient time to discuss joining our programme
Your free recycling option will be delivered to your site
Collect donations over the term or organise a collection day
Get paid for your collections - we’ll weigh your items and send you a payment and receipt!
Going Beyond Recycling: Education in Action
We're passionate about inspiring the next generation to protect the planet.
Our Textile Champions programme brings sustainability to life in the classroom through fun, interactive assemblies. Delivered by educators and our Recycling Experts, the programme helps children understand:
- The journey of their clothes after donation
- The environmental impact of textile waste
- Creative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle
This year alone, we’ve reached over 750 participants helping embed recycling.
Learn more about textile championsTextile Donations and Recycling Leadership
We also donate textiles to schools, colleges, and universities for creative reuse and learning - supporting fashion, design, and sustainability education. Recent examples include:
Where’s Your Thread At?
A student-led fashion show at a Merseyside secondary school, using upcycled textiles to create original catwalk pieces. As well as providing materials, we delivered a full-school assembly on sustainability, hosted classroom workshops, and invited local craft experts to mentor students throughout the process. Read the case study here.
University collaborations
Providing textiles to fashion students and researchers for design experimentation and fibre-to-fibre innovation, including welcoming sites visits from De Montfort University recently.
These projects help bring circularity to life, sparking creativity and conversations around sustainable fashion.
