D Robinson and Company Textile Recyclers

What D Robinson and Company Textile Recyclers does

D Robinson & Co Ltd is a family-run textile recycling company headquartered in Desborough, Northamptonshire, UK, operating for over 40 years since its founding in 1978. The company's core business is the collection, manual sorting, grading, baling and onward distribution of used textiles, clothing, shoes and handbags. It employs 50 staff at a purpose-built factory with close links to the M1, M6, M11 and A1 motorways, processing approximately 120 tonnes of material per week (roughly 6,000 tonnes per year). The underlying processing infrastructure consists of a conveyor belt system for manual grading by experienced staff, three twin African bailers producing 45–55 kg bales for some markets, and a double swivel box bailer producing 300–500 kg bales for other markets, with a fully covered loading area to maintain dry-condition export quality.

The business operates a B2B transaction-fee revenue model with two main revenue streams. The primary stream is the sale of graded, re-wearable textiles and clothing to international clothing importers and exporters for resale in developing-world markets across Africa, Asia and Europe via sea container shipping. The secondary stream is the sale of lower-grade textiles (wiper cloths, wools and synthetics) to UK industrial buyers as an alternative to paper-based products, with other residual materials (carpets, underlay, mattress linings) sent for UK processing. Feedstock is sourced at zero direct cost through partnerships with 15+ UK charities including British Red Cross, Age UK, Barnardos, Salvation Army, Cancer Research UK, YMCA and RSPCA, plus a proprietary online platform called Robinsons Resource that enables schools, churches and community organizations to fundraise through textile donations. The company collects material using its own fleet of lorries, vans and trailers, and holds a Waste Carriers Licence.

Name

D Robinson and Company Textile Recyclers

Legal name

D Robinson & Co Ltd

Website

https://drobinsontextilerecyclers.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Short description

D Robinson & Co is a family-run UK textile recycler that collects, sorts, grades and bales used clothing and textiles for export to African, Asian and European markets and for UK industrial wiping cloth use, processing 6,000 tonnes per year via charity partner feedstock.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Textile Recycling Services

NAICS

Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393), Textile Product Mills (314)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAIADAJ

Textile & Apparel Sorting/Recovery Facilities

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Services (Waste Management, Recycling & Remediation)/Recycling & Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF)

SECONDARYBPALADAL

Textile & Apparel Recycling and Sorting (Non-E-waste)

Business & Public Services/Waste Management & Remediation Services/Recycling & Materials Recovery (MRFs, Sorting, Processing)

SECONDARYEUAIAGAI

Industrial Laundry & Textile Waste Services (Non-hazardous)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Services (Waste Management, Recycling & Remediation)/Industrial & Commercial Waste Services (Non-hazardous, Specialized Streams)

SECONDARYHSAFABAI

Donation, Resale & Textile Recycling Coordination

Home & Personal Services/Home Organization & Decluttering/Closet & Wardrobe Organization

Keywords

• Textile recycling services
• Used clothing processing
• Textile waste collection
• Industrial wiping cloths
• Recycled textile exports

Headquarters

HQ city

Desborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Textile Recycling and Export: Collecting, sorting, grading and exporting recycled textiles, clothing, shoes and handbags to global markets. Revenue generated through sale of processed materials to clothing importers and exporters worldwide.
2. Industrial Wiping Cloths: Larger bales of wipers cloth, wools and synthetics sold to various UK industries for processing into wiping cloths as an alternative to paper-based products
3. UK Material Processing: Other materials including carpets, underlay and mattress linings sent for processing within the UK

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

D Robinson and Company collects used clothing, textiles, shoes, and handbags from UK charities, textile banks, and recycling centres. It sorts, grades, and bales the material, supplying recycled textile bales to export markets and wiping cloths to UK industrial sectors.

Product overview

D Robinson & Co is a family-run textile recycling company operating for over 40 years. The core offering is a comprehensive textile recycling service that collects, sorts, grades, and processes clothing, shoes, handbags, and textiles into export-ready bales. The company operates collection services including charity shop collections and textile bank recycling, processes materials through purpose-built facilities using manual sorting and grading by experienced workers, and produces finished products in various bale sizes. The Robinsons Resource platform provides an additional fundraising mechanism for schools and organizations. Materials are exported to international markets in Africa, Asia, and Europe, while wiping cloths serve UK industrial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Robinsons Resource: A school and church fundraising initiative supporting organizations by recycling unwanted clothing.

Products and services

• Textile recycling and processing Collection, sorting, grading, and baling of used clothing, textiles, shoes, and handbags received from UK charities, textile banks, and recycling centres.
• Charity clothing collection service Collection of used clothing, shoes, handbags, and other textiles from charity partners through the company's own fleet of lorries, vans, and trailers.
• Industrial wiping cloths Wiping cloths supplied to UK industrial sectors as an output of the company's textile-processing operation.
• Recycled textile bales Sorted and graded used textiles compressed into bales for export to buyers and markets in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 million tonnes of textiles still ends up in landfill every year - company diverts 6000+ tonnes annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner providing donated textiles for recycling collection services. British Red Cross collects clothing donations which D Robinson collects and processes for recycling, diverting materials from landfill.
• Age UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational charity partner. Age UK clothing donations are collected by D Robinson for textile recycling, supporting the charity's fundraising while enabling environmental benefits.
• BarnardoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's charity partner. D Robinson collects donated textiles from Barnardos charity shops for processing and recycling.
• Arthritis ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth research charity partner. Clothing donations collected for recycling to support the charity's fundraising efforts.
• MindminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health charity partner providing textile donations for recycling collection services.
• RSPCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnimal welfare charity partner. RSPCA clothing donations collected by D Robinson for textile recycling.
• St Lukes HospiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospice charity partner providing textile donations for recycling collection.
• Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor international charity partner. Salvation Army clothing donations collected and processed for global export to developing communities.
• Cats ProtectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCat welfare charity partner providing textile donations for recycling collection.
• Cransley HospiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal hospice charity partner for textile recycling collections.
• Cynthia Spencer HospiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal hospice charity partner providing textile donations for recycling.
• Fire Fighters AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlso known as The Fire Fighters Charity. D Robinson works closely with fire service charities collecting donated textiles.
• StarlightminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's charity partner providing textile donations for recycling.
• YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth charity partner. YMCA clothing donations collected and processed for recycling and export to developing markets.
• Cancer Research UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational cancer research charity partner supported through textile recycling collections.
• The Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor international charity providing clothing donations for global export to developing communities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LMB (London Max Brener) Textiles: One of the UK's longest-established used-clothing sorters and exporters, operating a comparable UK-based grading and export model with similar charity and wholesale buyer relationships; closest like-for-like competitor to D Robinson.

Broad incumbents

• SOEX Group: Germany-headquartered global textile recycler and used-clothing trader operating across Europe, Africa and Asia; competes directly for export volumes with D Robinson but at materially larger scale.
• TEXAID: Major European textile recycling group collecting, sorting and reselling used garments across multiple countries; comparable sort-and-export business model but with broader geographic and capacity footprint.
• I:CO (I:Collect): Global textile collection and sorting operator providing take-back schemes for retailers and brands; overlaps with D Robinson's sorting and grading capability and downstream buyer network.

Emerging players

• Worn Again Technologies: UK-based polymer/fibre-to-fibre textile recycler with proprietary chemical recycling tech; not a direct used-clothing export competitor but addresses the same textile waste stream with a next-generation model.
• Renewcell (Circulose): Swedish cellulosic textile recycler producing recycled dissolving pulp from worn clothes; competes for the same feedstock pool of used textiles, particularly the lower-grade residuals D Robinson currently bales for wipers.
• Revero: UK-based technology-enabled textile-to-textile recycler targeting brand take-back and circular supply chains; an emerging buyer/competitor at the higher-value end of the textile recycling stream D Robinson serves.

Regional players

• Trans-Industrias / Humana Spain: Spain-based used-clothing collector/sorter/exporter under the Humana brand, serving similar destination markets in Africa and Eastern Europe; comparable sort-and-export model but operating from a different European base.

Others

• Textile Recycling Association (TRA) UK members: UK trade body representing textile recyclers including D Robinson; other TRA members (e.g., Clothes Aid, Hilton Textiles) operate similar charity-collection and export models and represent the broader competitive set.
• Oxfam Wandsworth / Oxfam GB textile recycling: Major UK charity collecting donated clothing through its retail network; a key supplier-partner to UK textile recyclers like D Robinson and a potential insourcing competitor for charity collection volumes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/textile-recycling

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about D Robinson and Company Textile Recyclers