Sustainability Report 2017

Sorting About half of the collected goods are processed in TEXAID sorting facilities, while the other half is recycled by third parties. The collected goods also include waste (e.g. defective and wet textiles) or non-textile materials such as electronic scrap, re- sidential waste and toys. This waste is sorted and discarded along the entire value chain. During the sorting process according to all appli- cable regulations, the focus is on achieving opti- mal environmentally friendly added value for the almost 40,000 tons of used textiles at the pro- duction sites in Germany (Apolda), Switzerland (Schattdorf) Hungary (Bélapátfalva), Bulgaria (Kos- tinbrod) and Morocco (Tangier). TEXAID’s work processes and technical standards are being con- tinuously developed in all its locations. Neverthe- less, a manual inspection of each garment, shoe, and household textile continues to be a dominant factor for a high-quality sorting process. A good eye and a precise feel are therefore vital for quickly recognizing the quality and condition of the textiles and for sorting the goods by material, quality, fashion and season. New employees are brought up to speed by experienced colleagues and assigned to the department within the sorting process that best fits their sorting skills. All employ- ees also receive continuous training. 21