Caritas initiative will provide employment in Almeria

FOR the Caritas charity, used clothes are not money-makers but signify “work, encouragement and dignity.”

Few stop to think what happens to the clothes they give to charity, although Caritas is traditionally associated with transparency and ethical use of donations.

In Almeria City the charity is taking this a step further with its Proyecto Textil Koopera and the installation of 100 containers in the capital and other towns in the province for used textiles and footwear. 

This project will also provide work for the 12 people who will be needed to sort, disinfect and label donations, while adhering to European Union recycling directives aimed at protecting the environment. 

Ten per cent of the clothes are distributed amongst those in economic difficulties although a proportion of these items are sold at symbolic prices so that those at the receiving end can avoid the “charity” stigma. Fifty per cent goes to Caritas organisations abroad, 30 per cent is processed for upholstery and fillings and the unusable remainder is processed for use as fuel.