TexTradeUk: Leading UK Textile Recycling and Export Specialists

Company overview

TexTrade UK collects, sorts and exports second-hand and new clothing from the United Kingdom. The trading name sits over the legal entity Ediltex Ltd, and the operation is based at Plover Close, Newport, NP19 4SZ in south Wales. The company was established in 2012 and states its purpose as extending the lifespan of textiles, reducing environmental harm and supporting a circular economy.

The detail that matters commercially is where the material comes from. TexTrade UK works through partnerships with textile collectors across the whole of the United Kingdom rather than sourcing only in its own region. A south Wales base with national collection reach produces a broader mix than a plant fed by one city's bins, and it also means the company is buying at the collector level rather than competing for already-traded bales.

What the company does

Three distinct activities run under the same roof, and they attract different counterparties:

• Second-hand clothing collections - the inbound side, working with collectors and charity retail
• Sorting and export - the core business, with material leaving the UK for the global textile trade
• Surplus stock management for fashion brands and retailers, and the supply of branded stocklots

That last line is worth separating out. Surplus stock management means the company handles unsold new product for brands, which is a different trade from used clothing: the goods are new with tags, the pricing logic follows retail markdown rather than kilo rates, and the buyer is often a discount retailer rather than a second-hand shop. A supplier that does both can put new stocklots and graded used goods on the same invoice.

Charity retail and the collection layer

TexTrade UK displays Charity Retail Association membership. In the UK trade this is a meaningful signal rather than a badge: the CRA is the body representing charity shops, and a merchant working closely with that sector is buying from the source that produces the country's best-known material stream, the unsold residue of charity retail.

For an overseas buyer this matters because UK charity-shop residue is a specific product with a specific reputation. It carries high-street fashion brands, current seasonal items and a share of premium pieces that the shops themselves did not manage to sell. It is the same stream that feeds the English original trade, where 200-250 kg bags leave collection points unsorted. Anyone deciding between sorted UK goods and raw original should understand how UK sorting plants split those flows before committing to either model.

New clothing alongside used

The company handles both second-hand and new clothing, which is unusual in a directory of sorting operations. Most plants deal in one or the other because the two require different storage, different pricing and different customers. For a buyer running a shop that mixes new discount lines with graded second-hand, sourcing both from one counterparty removes a shipment, a set of paperwork and a payment cycle.

What to establish before a first order

The company's public material does not publish grade definitions or bale specifications, which is normal for a business that quotes per enquiry. That makes three questions essential on first contact:

• Grade definitions in writing. What separates each level, stated as a defect rule rather than an adjective. The letters used across Europe are not standardised, so read the underlying grades vocabulary before comparing quotes.
• Packing format and weight. Bale size determines your handling cost as much as the price per kilo does.
• Whether a trial quantity is possible. Any supplier confident in consistency will allow one.

Trade enquiries go to [email protected] or +44 1633 280000. Buyers comparing several second hand clothes suppliers in the UK should ask each of them the same three questions and compare the answers rather than the headline prices, because a low per-kilo figure attached to a vague defect rule is not a better deal.

Who this supplier suits

TexTrade UK fits export buyers who want UK-origin material with national collection reach, and it fits discount retailers who need branded new stocklots alongside used goods. It fits less naturally for a small online reseller needing twenty listable items a week, since that trade is served by pack-based suppliers rather than by exporters. Buyers building a programme of wholesale second hand at container scale will find the combination of collection-level sourcing and a brand surplus channel a genuinely useful pairing.

Frequently asked questions

Where is TexTrade UK based?

At Plover Close, Newport, NP19 4SZ, in south Wales, United Kingdom. The trading name sits over the legal entity Ediltex Ltd.

When was TexTrade UK established?

The company was established in 2012 and works in the collection, sorting and export of second-hand and new clothing.

Where does TexTrade UK source its clothing?

Through partnerships with textile collectors across the whole United Kingdom, rather than from its own region alone. The company also holds Charity Retail Association membership.

Does TexTrade UK handle new clothing as well as second-hand?

Yes. Alongside used clothing the company offers surplus stock management for fashion brands and retailers, and supplies branded stocklots.

How do I request grades and prices?

Grade definitions and bale specifications are quoted per enquiry. Contact [email protected] or +44 1633 280000 and ask for the defect rule in writing along with packing weights.