The problem of old clothes grows in the canton of Lucerne: Caritas has to dismantle clothes collection containers

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People in Lucerne are accustomed to throwing their old clothes as donations into one of Caritas’ 44 collection containers. These are then sorted and washed by participants in business integration programs. And as a result, it is sold in Caritas stores or benefits refugees.

This situation should end as of the new year. The community association Real has re-tasked the issue of collecting and recycling textiles. The association is responsible for waste management in 22 municipalities of Lucerne, including Kriens and Weggis, as well as Lucerne, where the charity is headquartered.

“We drew the short straw”

When the contract was signed, Caritas did not receive it from Real. The order was placed with two clothing collectors, Texaid and Tell-Tex. “The price was too heavy. Apparently our competitors offered much more and we lost,” says Niels Jost (31), who went to Blick from Caritas Switzerland. The weight of the “service fee per kilogram” criterion, as the REAL community association confirmed upon request It was set at 40 percent. Texaid and Tell-Tex’s offers are said to include “comparable, market-standard fare.”

But according to their information, Caritas also made a good offer at market standard. Prices are in the double-digit centimeter per kilogram range. Texaid and Tell-Tex did not want to comment to Blick on this matter.

Caritas is filing a lawsuit against the association’s decision in the Cantonal Court of Lucerne. The charity filed a complaint.

Jost states that the Caritas collection containers will remain there as long as the case continues in court, the trial continues and a decision is not made.

Caritas needs clothes

The decision poses a problem for the Swiss charity. As a result, the canton imposes an obligation to provide clothing to asylum seekers and refugees. It relies on donations for this. Caritas Lucerne collects 62 tonnes of clothing in the Real region each year, mostly through eight collection containers. Together with Caritas Switzerland, they have over 1,500 tonnes of material in total and operate 36 collection containers in the region.

Donors can still drop off clothes at Caritas stores. However, probably only a few will go the extra mile to do so. There are four Caritas stores in the canton of Lucerne, in Lucerne, Waldibrücke, Hochdorf and Sursee. On the other hand, 44 collection containers were scattered throughout the region.

Real further justifies the decision against Caritas with the following statements: One of the criteria is logical recycling and disposal, which must be documented in a transparent and understandable way. “For us, the cycle is closed,” counters Caritas’ Jost. The charity sorts and prepares goods in Emmen or Littau, bringing great benefit to the local population. Almost three-quarters of the 1,465 tonnes of clothing collected came from collection containers.

That’s what competition does

At Texaid, garments are first sorted at Schattdorf UR in Switzerland, Germany, Bulgaria or Hungary. A total of 58 percent of reused clothing ends up in second-hand stores or wholesale customers in Germany. The clothes collected at Tell-Tex are sold to certified sorting facilities in Europe. This is why reused clothing cannot find its way back to Switzerland. However, Tell-Tex is currently in St. Margarethen is in the process of establishing its own sorting facility in SG.

“Locally operating organizations are left out,” criticizes Jost. The decision also means Caritas has less work to do: “We may not be able to accept as many people into our charity programs in the future.”

And that’s not all: “The current case is very important for us because it can also affect other regions,” says Jost. Since 2019, the textile collection must be publicly awarded by the cantons and municipalities.

Caritas Aargau does not operate the collection containers itself but has no opinion on Real’s decision. A spokesman said: “Caritas Switzerland needs a large amount of clothing to continue its offer for refugees. “This decision puts obstacles in front of Caritas.”

Source :Blick