Sorting used clothes is both methodical and meticulous, passionate and artistic.
Sorting used clothes is one of the best steps to fulfill our mission and our philosophy ‘ZERO WASTE’. It’s based on the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). Our sorting team works methodically to keep used CLOTHING in the production cycle by making an appropriate selection according to different criteria: types of textiles, trends, clothing styles, specific customer requests, all habits, and legal and technical requirements.
We work artistically and with passion because it is not difficult to distinguish a T-shirt from a pair of trousers. However, when it comes to differentiating grades and quality, sorting requires a good knowledge of the latest trends and an eagle eye to differentiate between qualities, grades, and fashions. For this context, SOFRIP has invested in employee training to create dedicated teams and high performers with a high level of commitment to the company.
In our facilities of more than 15,000 m² with specific equipment and dispatching that meets international standards, this process consists of several parts. Each phase is controlled by the quality team to ensure compliance with each stage according to Sofrip standards.
- Pre-sorting second-Hand clothes: In the first part, we start with the opening of large original bags. Then we clean the goods by removing all kinds of waste fractions like wet textiles, rubbish, as well as other non-wearable and non-reusable items. Some articles are processed on the conveyor belt to be recovered in another stage to turn them into wiping cloths and frayed.
- Sorting: In the second part, as soon as the pre-sorting is finalized, the reusable items are sorted by our qualified team into different sub-categories, by gender and by season. This step is done by the choices and grades already defined by our development team based on the market needs. We have different products categories, presented as follows:
- Cream Grade = the highest quality second-hand clothes with no defects and meet top fashion standards.
- Grade 1 = very good quality used clothing wearable but not necessarily modern.
- Grade 2 = old clothing, wearable with a few defects that indicate they are second-hand goods.
- Grade 3 = second-hand clothes that are not in perfect condition and have defects.
- Post-sorting second-Hand clothes: In the last part of this process, our quality control team folds the garments and closely checks each trolley to ensure that all qualities meet our standards. Finally, our product is ready for packaging! Packaging is a very important step when it comes to storage and loading. Therefore, Sofrip has invested in used clothing packaging equipment, a press, and a strapping machine. This equipment is containing adjustable options according to our customers’ requirements to meet their needs and align with their demands. All our packaging is labeled with tickets displaying the product name, quantity, and batch number. We have different types of packaging such as :
- Bales of 30, 35, and 40 KG;
- Cardboard boxes of 20 kg;
- Large bales 450 kg – 500 kg.
Meanwhile, the sorting step is done by hand and carefully to distinguish them by types such as trousers, linens, jackets, and sweatshirts, except for baby clothes.
