Look out for RNLI textile collection bags coming through UK letterboxes this Summer. Fill them up with your unwanted clothes and Local Community Recycling Services Ltd will recycle them on our behalf.

A 5-month pilot and a subsequent yearlong trial period have already brought in a staggering £115,000 to help save lives at sea.

Textile recycling is a great way to put unwanted clutter to good use, but there have been some scams in which unscrupulous operators have sent out bogus charity bags. If you receive a bag that looks like the picture below, it is a genuine RNLI collection.

Meanwhile, The Recycling Factory raised £130,000 for the RNLI in 2010 by recycling printer cartridges and mobile phones. Visit therecyclingfactory.com/rnli.asp or call 0800 091 0696 to find out more.