A primary school in Gravesend, Kent has smashed its environmental target this month by recycling an astounding 2,000kg of unwanted items thanks to a partnership with Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL).

St Botolph's Church of England primary school teamed up with SATCoL's Recycle With Michael initiative, which is a dedicated scheme for schools.  Pupils, their families and staff all helped turn 2,000kg of unwanted clothes, shoes and textile items into valuable funds for their school and The Salvation Army.

Unused shoes (in pairs), clothing, handbags, belts, bed linens, and blankets all helped raise funds to support the valuable work of The Salvation Army, and provided additional funding for St Botolph's school trips, events and resources.

Amy Chitty, Head Teacher at St Botolph's School commented: "We're delighted to be working with SATCoL and have been on board with the Recycle With Michael scheme since January last year. We're thankful for the large number of donations we've received and will continue to support the scheme as part of a wider eco initiative for our school."

Amy continued: "Our PTA, Friends of St Boltoph's, inspired us to get involved in Recycle With Michael as it's an incredibly easy scheme that the organisers, parents and children can all contribute to. Thanks to everyone who helped us achieve our 2,000kg target."

Local collectors from SATCoL regularly pick up donations from participating schools, and over 99% of everything that SATCoL collects is re-used or recycled, with up to 80% being re-worn. The schools are rewarded with an amount of money to spend on their own projects, dependent on the weight of donations. SATCoL now operates more than 6,500 clothing banks, and each tonne of textiles diverted from landfill prevents 3.6 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions.