Donate

To our charities

What happens to donated clothing? This is a frequently asked but important question, especially now that the EPR legislation for textiles has been in effect since July 1, 2023. EPR stands for extended producer responsibility, and the Netherlands is the second European country to implement this law. For many retailers, this means changes are coming. Producers, including clothing store owners, are now responsible for the waste phase of textile products. This implies that retailers must set up a collection system for discarded textiles. Sheltersuit and Drop&Loop support us in achieving sustainability goals and complying with the requirements of the Extended Producer Responsibility Regulation 2023.

Where is the clothing donated to?

Local

Our stores not only support national charities, but are also committed to local initiatives that have a positive impact on their community. This means that your unsold contributions help to support both larger projects and small-scale local initiatives. For more detailed information about the specific goals and projects that we actively support, you are welcome to visit the relevant Appel & Ei store, where our team will be happy to tell you more about our involvement and the differences we make together.

Drop & Loop

Hand in your clothes, which deserve better through reuse or textile recycling. Appel & Ei contributes to sustainability by selling your unsold contributions and giving them a second life. In collaboration with Drop & Loop, we are investigating opportunities to give non-saleable clothing a new life as well. This helps us to comply with legislation and improve the Appel & Ei formula and support the environment. Never just throw clothes away; if it is suitable for sale, we will gladly sell it for you. Otherwise, you can give it to our employees for donation to Drop & Loop. Together we make worn clothing circular.
Drop & Loop

Sheltersuit

Appel & Ei has joined forces with Sheltersuit to support a national charity. The proceeds from the clothing still to be sold are used to manufacture textiles for Sheltersuit, an innovative solution for the homeless and refugees. This wind and waterproof jacket can be transformed into a sleeping bag, and features a spacious hood, a built-in scarf and large pockets. The bottom can be easily opened, so that the wearer can move freely.
Sheltersuit

What is Drop & Loop?

The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries worldwide, with many raw materials wasted and a lot of greenhouse gases emitted. This is due to the large use of land, water, energy, and chemicals. The strong increase in production and consumption and the declining reuse of textiles also lead to a growing amount of textile waste.

More than half of all clothing and textiles still end up in the trash. Some end up in textile containers on the street, but these are often too contaminated to recycle. In this way, 150 million kilos of clothing are still burned in the Netherlands every year.

More info? Visit: drop&loop

Drop – Hand in your clothes, they deserve better

Appel & Ei has been contributing to sustainability for years by selling second-hand clothing and giving it a second life. We have partnered with Drop & Loop to explore possibilities to give clothing not suitable for sale at Appel & Ei a second life as well. This way, we comply with legal requirements, continue to improve the Appel & Ei formula, and contribute to a healthy environment.

Vision of Appel & Ei and Drop & Loop; “Never just throw away clothing, give it a second life. If it meets the conditions of Appel & Ei, we are happy to sell it for you. If not, pass it on to our staff and donate it to Drop & Loop. Together, we contribute to making worn clothing circular.”

Loop – Through reuse or textile recycling

Drop & Loop is the first in the Netherlands with a complete circular program for textiles. They work with Wolkat for sorting and recycling. Wolkat is the only sustainable textile processor in the world that sorts, spins, and weaves under one roof. Appel & Ei has partnered with Drop & Loop to close the loop. Half of the clothing can be worn again. The other half is cleaned, hand-sorted by material and color, and then recycled. New products are made from this – without using water, chemicals, or dyes. In the future, we will also sell the fully recycled products at Appel & Ei!
Usable clothing is reused
The rest of the clothing is recycled
We make new fabrics and products from new yarns

What is Sheltersuit?

Homelessness is becoming an increasingly largerproblem worldwide. A Sheltersuit is a temporary solution to provide people with protection. The Sheltersuit is also a solution for refugees in war or disaster areas (War in Ukraine, earthquake in Turkey and Syria). Sheltersuit collaborates with various homeless organizations to ensure that homeless people receive the Sheltersuit for free.

More info? Visit: sheltersuit.com

Sheltersuit – An emergency solution for the homeless and refugees. A wind- and waterproof coat that can be transformed into a sleeping bag. Equipped with a large hood, built-in scarf, and large pockets. The bottom can be easily opened for free movement.

Shelterbag – A personal portable tent.
The Shelterbag is a portable, sheltered bed that can be rolled up into a bag, waterproof, lightweight, and has an extra pocket for personal items. It comes with a built-in mattress and pillow but also has space for an extra blanket or sleeping bag, making it adaptable to all seasons. For more space and better protection against rain, a flexible tent pole is integrated into the hood to keep the tent upright.

Providing warmth

Everyone deserves warmth, protection, and dignity. The Sheltersuit and Shelterbag products are distributed with the help of local NGOs.

Upcycling residual material

The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, the waste is reused, and a product with impact is made from it.

Creating new jobs

The Shelterbag and Sheltersuit areproduced by people with a distance to the labor market, former refugees, former homeless people, and people with disabilities in the social workshop in Enschede.