FAQ

How much will we get?

All our clothes are sent to Ukraine to support them during this incredibly difficult time. With the situation changing daily, the market price for clothing fluctuates frequently. However, we are committed to always paying the best market price available.

To keep you informed, we will update the market price on our website weekly until the situation between Ukraine and Russia stabilizes.This means that when you book a collection for a few months in advance, the price we pay will be the best market price of that week, not the price per kilo on the day you booked.

Our current rate is 25p per kilo which is a great price compared to our competitors.

Please Note: We reserve the right to adjust the price we pay based on market fluctuations. Rest assured, we always offer the best market price, whether it rises or falls.

What is Rags 2 Riches 4 Schools?

Rags 2 Riches 4 Schools is not a charity organisation. It is a business, which specialises in collecting from educational sectors. We pay for quality second-hand clothes, which are then sold to other businesses and become affordable clothing to help developing nations.

When do we get paid?

We usually aim to pay within a week, but when we get very busy during peak times the payments might take a few weeks longer. Please also note cheques are not posted out during school holidays due to so many being returned as site inaccessible by post office.

Is there a limit to what funds my school can raise?

No, the more clothes you recycle the more you earn! All we ask you to do is look at our
What We Collect page to be clear about what items we accept.

How much does it cost?

We offer a simple & FREE collection service, providing the education establishments with bags, stickers, posters and banners to advertise the events for you.

What happens on collection day?

We collect the clothes without a fuss. If you would like to give us a call in the morning we will be more than happy to let you know which order our collections are that day. It is as simple as that!

Our school is a really small school, but can we still set up a collection?

Absolutely, your school is as important as all the larger ones and some small schools are doing much better than the larger schools! If you’re looking to raise more money your community might help contribute towards your school collection. Maybe we can help you organise with the use of community posters & leaflets.

What if our collection is less than 25 Bags full?

Remembering the whole idea is to be as environmentally friendly as possible while helping schools raise money!

The average collection size is 50-60 full bags, if you do not achieve this and you have significantly less (30 bags or fewer) please call us by 9:30am, we will most likely still collect if we are passing nearby but we might rearrange to another date when we are nearer to yourselves to give you a chance to remind parents for a last boost to the collection) – schools that advertise the collection well in advance and remind parents don’t have a problem collecting this average amount. 

Can I donate any payment to charity?

Yes, this can also be arranged. Please call us for more details.

What if there are items in the collection that should not have been weighed at school?

The collection weight is NOT final until we have had confirmation from our warehouse that the collection was true to the re-usable items we advertise we collect . Many schools do not police the collections and sometimes we see a lot of black bags. These can sometimes be a sign that the normal/usual way of collecting has not been followed and this is quite often the time when we end up trying to call schools back to adjust the weight. Timing does not always allow us to do this on the collection day and we reserve the right to update the collection weight for 3 days after the collection day.

Severe weather conditions: If we have a collection next week, what should we do?

Keep collecting! The collection date is set and will be going ahead as planned. If you think your school may be affected by the weather, please visit our website or contact us to check what arrangements we have made.

Severe weather conditions: What should we do if our school is closed?

If your school has to close, please let Rags2Riches4Schools know so we can re-arrange a collection date with you.

Some areas will not be affected so it is worth visiting our website or contacting us directly to check this.

I’m worried that I will be arriving late at my school. Does that mean I won’t be able to take part in the collection event?

There is some leeway when, if you are late, you may still be able to leave the collection bags for us to revisit. Contact your school to let them know if you think you might be late.

Is it better to use a large cardboard collection box?

If you are looking to raise funds these could help but even large cardboard boxes have a very limited volume of about 60kg, which will mean you will raise about £20 - companies that offer these boxes don't pay top rates like us. You also need to find somewhere for the box and you will need to constantly remind parents it's there. 

Organising a bag collection day in advance works far better, as you will no longer need any storage at the school and will result in larger volume of clothes therefor raising you more funds. Collection days can achieve over 1500kg giving you £750 a term!

Many schools have tried boxes but find they collect less weight and non-reusable clothes are collected, and they have gone back to termly collections - parents will store the clothes for a month or so after a sort out and then bring them in for a collection done as an event.

Do you offer metal collection bins?

Sadly, we found the clothes in the metal collection bins were regularly contaminated with food or rainwater, which meant the clothes were repeatedly contaminated and no longer suitable for reuse. Because of this companies only pay 30p a kilo for the clothes inside, and this is once any ruined clothes are removed. Often clothing that was put into the bin in good condition after several weeks is no longer reusable.

The metal bins are also difficult to place at a school with councils needing permits and dealing with health and safety issues.

Organising a bag collection day in advance works far better, as you will no longer need any storage at the school and will result in larger volume of clothes therefor raising you more funds. Collection days can achieve over 1500kg giving you £750 a term!