TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development) is widely known as the future face of 'charity' shops, with several outlets across London and Brighton. TRAID has created a unique link between recycling and fashion retail and has been successful in gaining a reputation for being innovative and edgy, appealing to a predominantly young, fashionable and environmentally conscious audience.   

Donated textiles from TRAID’s network of over 700 collection banks are transported to their London warehouse each week where they are sorted according to style and quality. They collect on average 2,500 tonnes per year. The highest quality goes to one of TRAID’s seven shops in London or the shop in Brighton. Clothing that is unsuitable for resale, and would otherwise be sent to landfill, is customised into new, one-off pieces by their in-house designers and sold under the designer fashion label TRAID Remade, also sold in TRAID shops.

Another part of TRAID’s work aims to encourage school children to get into the recycling habit, through their Education Programme. TRAID’s Assembly & Customisation Workshops, held in schools across London, aim to change the way the children view second-hand clothes, as well as encourage them to reuse and recycle their clothing in a fun and creative way.  Following a discussion about their attitudes towards second-hand clothing, the students are given the opportunity to brainstorm, plan and begin work on their own piece of recycled clothing. Follow up surveys show that the message appears to be getting across – having attended one of the workshops, students are more likely to not only buy but also customise their own second hand and recycled clothing.      

Support from London CRN

TRAID currently has eight shops, 35 full time and 26 part time staff members and is always looking to expand. In the summer of 2004 TRAID approached the London CRN for advice on how to best proceed with this expansion. Richard Mehmed, an experienced business support consultant, was assigned to TRAID and undertook a detailed review of the organisation over the course of one day a week for three months. Ultimately he produced a work plan of current operations and included recommendations on how best the expansion could be achieved.                                                                      

Case study issued in November 2005