Overview

• On July 9 in Manchester, Jacob King placed clothes in a charity donation box and found the same items displayed on railings outside a Lidl supermarket just 45 minutes later.
• King’s TikTok clip showing jackets and shirts laid out for passersby went viral and sparked public concern over the diversion of charitable goods.
• The Textile Recycling Association estimates that replacing a stolen clothing bank can cost charities up to £1,500 and that total member losses may reach £1 million.
• TRA president Ian Woods has urged police and government agencies to increase enforcement around unsupervised donation sites to curb textile theft.
• Charities continue to face significant revenue shortfalls and extra operational costs due to ongoing theft and unauthorized resale of donated textiles.