Homebase sold for £1 to HMV owner
ANGELA SMITH, MP for Penistone & Stocksbridge, has visited Braiform, the world’s largest reuser and recycler of coat hangers, at its facility in Ecclesfield.
The Sheffield-based firm processes more than 150,000,000 hangers a year at its Sheffield base, saving 6,500 metric tonnes of plastic materials going to waste and entering landfill, as well as reducing carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent.
As the war on single use plastics intensifies, Braiform’s hangers are being reused at least 10 times and the business is partnered with prominent high street retailers including Marks & Spencer, H&M, Peacocks and Mothercare.
Braiform moved into the Reuse Centre in Ecclesfield in 2010 and has created over 250 jobs in the region. The company has invested £3m in its state-of-the-art facility and plans further investment.
Graeme Rutherford, Braiform co-CEO, said: “Thanks to the popularity of our innovative garment hanger reuse model, we are a business that is focused on growth and looking to capitalise on future opportunities.
“The shift we are seeing from retailers wanting to reduce carbon emissions and plastics waste in their supply chains has contributed to an increase in demand for our services and as we expand, we hope to increase our workforce.”
Braiform prefers to reuse hangers rather than recycle them as it uses less energy and materials. Recycling is only used when hangers are at the end of their life. Clothing manufacturers order hangers from Braiform and when customers buy garments in store, the hanger goes into a Braiform box at the counter. The hangers are then sent to the reuse facility where they are cleaned, packed and redistributed, ready to be reused.
Mrs Smith said: “Braiform is a great success story for Sheffield. I was impressed by the scale and sophistication of their operations at the Reuse Centre here.
“The business is a leading example of how the circular economy can help to create value, income and jobs, while still supporting the environment. I enjoyed talking with employees and will be highlighting the important contribution the business makes to the UK’s green economy with my Westminster colleagues.”
Mr Rutherford added: “As the world shifts towards a more circular economy model, we believe that our unique reuse model will help retailers to eradicate waste from garment hangers and garment packaging all together. We are proud, as a Sheffield business, to play a role in the international fight against plastic waste.”
Homebase has been sold by its Australian owner Wesfarmers to retail restructuring firm Hilco, closing the chapter on a disastrous foray into British retail.
The deal, for a nominal sum thought to be £1, will see Wesfarmers book a loss of up to £230m and see the firm exit the UK after picking up the DIY chain for £340m in 2016. It is unclear at this stage if Hilco, which also owns HMV, will embark on a store closure programme.