As well as raising vital funds for charities, here are another five reasons we do what we do.

1. Saves Resources
Reusing unwanted products and using recycled materials to make new products reduces the need to source raw materials, which often involves cutting down trees and mining the earth worldwide. This destroys our natural environment and wildlife habitats, causing environmental and health problems for local people.

2. Saves Energy & Prevents Pollution
Enormous amounts of energy are required to make products and materials worldwide. By recycling items such as paper, glass, plastics and cans, we can use less energy than when we make these products from raw materials. Textile recycling saves energy and water, which would be used to process raw wool or cotton, or in the manufacture of synthetic fabrics.

3. Reduces Landfill
Most of the UK's waste currently ends up in landfill sites, but the space required to bury our waste in the ground is running out. Many items do not decompose, but even an old woollen jumper produces methane and contributes to global warming.

It is estimated that over 1 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away each year.

4. Creates Jobs
Recycling is an increasingly important part of our country's economy and creates jobs for people in the UK and overseas.

5. Saves Money
Each local authority in the UK has a target to meet set by the government to ensure that more of our waste is being reduced, reused and recycled. The national target set in the Waste Strategy 2007, is to ensure that at least 40% of our household waste is recycled or composted by 2010, 45% by 2015 and 50% by 2020. By achieving these targets, local authorities will not have to pay fines and increased landfill taxes.