Continuum Project: Circular Economy Recyling

Its simple: you send us any brand of unwanted outdoor clothing and equipment by dropping it off in store or using our returns process and we'll find it a new home:

• directly to those who need it most through one of our charity partners listed below
• with upcycling projects
• we'll recycle the remainder
• the one thing we guarantee is that it won't end up in landfill

The Continuum Project was started in 2017 and makes it easy for you to donate your unwanted outdoor gear directly to those that need it most.

Thank you to our customers for making this happen. And thank you too to the Alpkit Foundation for their support.

What can I donate?

You can donate any item of outdoor clothing (outerlayers, insulation layers, mid layers, base layer tops). We cannot accept underwear.

All garments must be in good, clean, and functional condition. Please see our support page stickies for advice on how to clean technical garments.

If you have any queries about an item that you wish to donate or what to do with garments that you can't donate, please email the support team or visit our Continuum Support Sticky.

How do I donate garments to you?

You can either drop your donation off at one of our stores: Alpkit Hathersage, Alpkit Ambleside or Alpkit Keswick, leave it with our friends at the Climbing Unit in Derby or bring it to one of our events during the year.

Alternatively, you can send the donation to us at Alpkit HQ. Please fill in the Continuum Project Donation form and send the item(s) to us using the address below:

Alpkit Global HQ
Units 12 - 14 Oak House
Moorgreen Industrial Park
Engine Lane
Newthorpe
Nottingham
NG16 3QU

If needed, you can use our free Royal Mail Tracked service - but this is a charitable campaign and postage costs money! If you do make use of this service, we would welcome a donation to the Alpkit Foundation.

If using our free returns system, please make sure to type "Continuum" in the order number field, you can create a shipping label for your donation on the Royal Mail website.

Who are our Charity Partners?

This is an ever-expanding list. We value transparency along the chain so that we can see the direct benefit from the donations. We work with homeless charities and outdoor education charities, prioritising those based in the local area to minimise further shipping where possible.

Canaan Trust

Nottinghamshire-based charity that works with the homeless to help to "rebuild their lives, regain their self esteem, rebuild their self confidence". Cannan Trust also do extensive work alongside various charities including frontline homelessness.

Three Peaks Africa/ Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project

Three Peak Africa's mission is to promote travel as a force for good whilst encouraging a circular economy. We will be sending donations to porters in the mountain regions via Three Peaks Africa, therefore mitigating any carbon cost of shipping donations internationally.

Birmingham City Mission

Founded in 1966 to help those in need, Birmingham City Mission runs projects throughout the city “offering friendship and support to the homeless, elderly, young and those struggling with poverty”.

Doorways Derby

A community volunteer group who dedicates several evenings a week to provide hot and cold food, drinks, clothing, bedding and social interaction for the homeless, rough sleepers, and vulnerable people who need help on the streets of Derby.

Freedom Community Alliance

A 'needs led' charity based in Barnstaple who work with a range of vulnerable groups including homeless people and those suffering from substance misuse issues, poor physical / mental health and debt and poverty.

Vulture

A charity run organisation focusing on improving mental health, socialisation and good practice in Whitehaven, one of Britains most deprived areas. They are currently running a walking project in order to encourage individuals to get out into the outdoors. Any donations not used by Vulture club will be passed on to Whitehaven Youth Project, a charity run community project offering outdoor adventure in an accessible way.

MY Great Escape

MY Great Escape support survivors of domestic abuse get out into the great outdoors. They run multi-day adventures that utilise the physical challenge and serenity of nature to enable survivors to heal and build confidence. MY Great Escape covers all costs to keep these adventures accessible to all. Each trip is supported by a mountain leader, medic and therapist.

Streets Kitchen

Streets Kitchen is a UK & Ireland grassroots group working to help the homeless community, providing daily outreaches with food, clothing and information that benefits our streets. We work in partnership with others across the UK and beyond. We will be supporting them with clothing and kit, which can be donated during their food outreaches.

GUL

God Unlimited Outdoor Therapy (GUL) provide therapeutic activities in an outdoor setting.They provide Equine Assisted Therapy, outdoor education, navigation, work placements, apprenticeships, gardening and more.

Nottingham Bikeworks

Nottingham Bikeworks is a not-for-profit community bike recycling and educational project in the heart of Nottingham city who use bikes in a wide variety of projects to help educate, engage and enable groups and individuals across the whole community including refugee group, mental health referrals, jobseekers and local residential children’s homes.

Cumbria Youth Alliance

Cumbria Youth Alliance is a charity which helps disadvantaged young people achieve their full potential through a wide range of different projects, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and other outdoor projects.

Dirtbags Climbing

Dirtbags Climbing are now accepting wetsuits for repurposing! Any old wetsuits can now be sent to them as part of project 'Dirtbags Swim' for upcycling to keep them out of landfill.

Thomas Theyer Foundation

The Thomas Theyer Foundation works to support children and young people with additional needs and those who may have difficult life circumstances, their families and carers. We recognise the many benefits that physical exercise can bring and strive to increase access to various activities, particularly in the outdoors. In addition, we can also provide opportunities for respites to include families and carers.

Why are we doing it?

The Continuum Project was launched to address two primary issues: the huge quantity of clothing going to landfill and the growing number of people in need of warm clothing.

The Outdoor Industry thrives because of the environment we live in, however, to make our kit, the outdoor industry contributes to the environmental nasties that are the side effects of any sort of production.

Annual consumption of clothing in the UK alone produces 1.8 million tonnes of waste, and 38 million tonnes of CO2. To help you get your head round these numbers, that's the equivalent of every household in the UK clocking up 6000 miles per year on their car. The best way to reduce this is to prolong the life of our clothes by wearing them for longer.

Here at Alpkit, our Product Team are a conscientious bunch who strives to design durable products, extending their usable lifetime. We know that by extending the average life of clothes by just three months per garment, we can reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints by 5-10%.

But once the Product Team have done their bit, it’s over to you. A significant proportion of the environmental cost of clothing comes from how you use and dispose of it. Many of us love getting shiny new gear, and some of us will even happily retire our fleeces and jackets before their lives are over. There are a huge amount of people living on the streets who are in desperate need of clothing to keep them warm and dry, and organisations in need of waterproofs.

That's where Continuum comes in: we take the unwanted gear that’s stashed up in your attic, destined for landfill, and pass it on people who will really benefit from it.

What we can and cannot use

Donations we can accept:
Outdoor clothing: (outerlayers, insulation layers, mid layers, base layer tops)
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping mats
Walking poles
Tents
Rucksacks
Pots and pans

Bikes
Bike parts and accessories
Cycle clothing

Everything is passed on directly to the recipient (new user) of the donation so please make sure that it is clean and functional.

Donations we cannot currently accept:
Underwear
Technical sports equipment (e.g. wetsuits, climbing shoes)
Safety equipment (e.g. helmets)
Worn tyres

How should I dispose of garments I no longer want / need?

Like we mentioned above, extending the use of a garment reduces the environmetal effects caused by the production of that garment. Before getting rid of a garment, always consider whether you can repair or modify it so that you continue using it. Even the most technical of garments can usualy be repaired, if you are unsure, please feel free to contact support@alpkit.com for advice.

If you are certain that you no longer want the garment, you have a few options:

1. Donate to Continuum Project
2. Sell online or in an outdoor kit exchange
3. Give to charity
4. Sell / donate for upcycling/ downcycling

If none of these options are appropriate for whatever reason, the final option is to recycle the garment. Many local councils will offer textile recycling collections to their residents, or at least accept them at recycling centres. You can find out more information about recycling textiles in your area here: https://www.recyclenow.com/what-to-do-with/clothing-textiles-0

Further info:

WRAP - Valuing Our Clothes: 2

WRAP - Clothing Knowledge Hub

Everything is passed on directly to the recipient (new user) of the donation so please make sure that it is clean and functional.

What happens to the donations?

Continuum Project is carried out to help out those in need whilst reducing the impact that the Outdoor Industry has on the environment. Our primary aim is, with the assistance of our Charity Partners, use the donations help those in need. This may be the homeless in need of some warm clothing, outdoor education projects in need of some waterproofs or anywhere in between. Our secondary aim is to ensure that zero donations end up in landfill. If a donation cannot be used for its original purpose, we will send it off for upcycling, downcycling or scientific research.

How do I apply to be a charitable partner?

Please send an email to continuum@alpkit.com introducing yourself and what your kit requirement is, then we take it from there.

Finally, many thanks to illustrator Andy Smith for helping us out with the very fine artwork.