Jo Crotty raises concerns over controversial recycling group

2.54.12pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 5th Sep 2008

Jo Crotty is fighting to get rid of the controversial bins.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson Jo Crotty is alerting local residents in Penketh to the controversial dealings of an organisation that collects unwanted clothes from the public. At issue is a recycling bin owned by Gaia-Movement Trust Living Earth Green World that sits in the car park of the Crown and Cushion pub next to St Paul's Church on Warrington Road in Penketh.

This month BBC Radio 4's Face the Facts program broadcast an investigation into the company behind this group, Tvind, and several others using such names as Planet UK, Humana UK, and Humana People to People. The owners of Tvind admitted during the interview with Radio 4 that the clothes are not given away but are instead sold for profit. The money is supposed to be invested in development programmes, but when the company's 2007 accounts were shown to Radio 4 only 12% of their income was given to charities as opposed to the 79% Oxfam gave away during the same period. More information about their practices is difficult to come by as they are not a registered charity and therefore do not have to publish their accounts.

Jo Crotty wants local residents to be alert to the controversy surrounding the organisation.

"It is important that local people know where their donations go and what they are being used for. Charities have strict rules, and they report their accounts publicly. This company is not a charity and there is too much about its operations that the public does not know about," said Dr Crotty.

"These are not council recycling bins, and it seems likely that any clothes you put in it will be re-sold in Africa to profit this company."

"If you know of any other bins the company has placed around Warrington please let me know by emailing info@jocrotty.org.uk or going to my website, www.jocrotty.org.uk. I will keep an updated list of any suspect bins linked to this company on the website, and I will be working to get them removed."

The groups run by Tvind, including Gaia-Movement Trust Living Earth Green World, have attracted controversy in the past. As early as 2000, questions were raised by national newspaper The Independent which indicated the organisation was misleading the public.