Age UK turns the unsaleable into the sustainable

Age UK will launch a waste recycling scheme across its 440+ shops from 1 July 2013. The scheme aims to maximise revenue from textiles and other donated items which cannot be re-sold in shops and helps to minimise the amount that is sent to landfill.

According to Defra, households in England recycle 40% of rubbish. Age UK is launching its own recycling scheme to motivate its customers to recycle more. Last year 90% of donations to Age UK shops were resold and the remaining 10% of items donated were recycled, raising over £4 million for the Charity.

Age UK will accept almost anything for recycling including mobile phones, textiles, shoes, metals, books, electrical, paper, cardboard and bric-a-brac. All funds raised from the scheme will go towards improving later life for older people. Each shop will operate a sorting facility on site to identify goods that cannot be re-sold, then items are then distributed to a selection of partner agencies which ensure items are responsibly recycled.

Hugh Forde, Managing Director of Retail, Trading and Training at Age UK, said: 'Recycling is part of modern life. Age UK is concerned with environmental issues and so are our customers. We are committed to preventing waste that's why we have developed this scheme to help make recycling easier and more convenient as well as help us to raise vital funds for our work with older people. We anticipate that our customers will be encouraged to recycle and hope to attract some new ones in too.'

Age UK is the leading charity for older people which aims to improve later life for everyone. To find your local Age UK shop or for more information about recycling with Age UK please visit www.ageuk.org.uk.

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For more information on Age UK, please call Valery Lawrence in the Age UK Media Team on 020 3033 1427 or email valery.lawrence@ageuk.org.uk.

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Note to Editors

All proceeds from Age UK's 440+shops go towards helping older people enjoy a better later life, here and in more than 40 of the world's poorest countries through the work of Age UK's subsidiary charity Age International. Funds raised will help transform the lives of older people who are struggling across the world to combat poverty, ill health, neglect and discrimination.

Age UK

For media enquiries relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland please contact the appropriate national office: Age Scotland on 0131 668 8055, Age Cymru on 029 2043 1562 and Age NI on 028 9024 5729.

Age UK is the new force combining Age Concern and Help the Aged, dedicated to improving later life.

We provide free information, advice and support to over six million people; commercial products and services to well over one million customers; and research and campaign on the issues that matter to people in later life. Our work focuses on five key areas: money matters, health and wellbeing, home and care, work and training and leisure and lifestyle. We work with our national partners, Age Scotland, Age Cymru and Age NI (together the Age UK Family), our local Age UK partners in England and local Age Concerns. We also work internationally for people in later life as a member of the DEC and with our sister charity Help Age International.

Age UK is a charitable company limited by guarantee and registered in England (registered charity number 1128267 and company number 6825798). Age Concern England and Help the Aged (both registered charities), and their trading and other associated companies merged on the 1st April 2009. Together they have formed the Age UK Group ("we"). Charitable services are offered through Age UK and commercial products are offered by the Charity's trading companies, which donate their net profits to Age UK (the Charity).