CHARITY Wrapped in Dignity
The Egyptian Clothing Bank is changing lives by doing something simple—giving clothes to those who need them. From school uniforms for children to warm jackets for families in winter, the organization helps thousands across Egypt feel safe, proud, and cared for. It’s not just about clothes—it’s about dignity, comfort, and a better future. In 2012, the Egyptian Clothing Bank was founded on a simple yet powerful belief:
CLOTHING IS NOT A LUXURY
it is a basic essential human right.
Since its inception, ECB has pioneered innovative solutions to bridge the gap between textile waste and excess and human need and dignity. Through nationwide collection, sorting and redistribution programs, millions of garments have been rescued from landfills and redirected to families in need.
The bank adopts a ZERO WASTE methodology
where every piece of clothing or fabric that comes in is either reused, repaired, or recycled.
Trust & Community Reach
With a robust fleet, expansive outreach network, and dedicated volunteers, Clothing Bank is a trusted destination for meaningful donations—ensuring every contribution reaches those who need it most.
Clothing Bank begins the process by collecting clothes and fabric donations from many sources. Sources of donations include textile factories, traders, retailers, exporters, importers, as well as individual donors. The bank collects these donations through a collection fleet spread in multiple governorates in addition to our permanent collection and pick-up points. Clothes and textiles collected are then sorted, repaired, altered, or transformed.
Items that cannot be worn again are recycled or upcycled into other products such construction panels. Nothing is wasted. Through this system, the Bank makes sure that every donated item can serve someone or something.
Their Happiness is Our Responsibility
A woman in Sohag stitched her way from zero skills to dressing her daughters and neighbors after joining green training and women empowerment program ; a 9-year-old boy made it to football trials—his sturdy ECB-donated shoes paved his way to the trials, cancer patients at Cairo’s National Institute stayed warm in newly designed adaptive pajamas tailored for their treatment needs including accessibility for infusion, medical administration, and medical equipment attachments and when floods hit Monofeya governorates, ECB teams delivered tents, mattresses, and full clothing kits within hours.
The Bank provides winter sets for sick children, school uniforms to encourage attendance, and professional attire for graduates to improve job prospects. When asked if those donated clothes actually help people in the long run and not just for now, Mrs. Manal said: “Clothes have no expiry date. They live pre and post production and pre and post consumption... and for decades.”
Sustainability & Institutional Strength
Clothing Bank’s sustainability is rooted in strong governance, strategic partnerships, and public trust—making it a resilient force for long-term social change.
The Bank could not do all this alone. Partners, donors, designers, and volunteers are essential. Because in Egypt, with so many people in need, scaling up means support from many sides. These partners help bring more donations, resources, and capacity to the Bank.
ECB relies on monetary donations and the funding of its board of trustees. It has a very credible partnership with donors, meaning many corporate companies that have CSR (Corporate Social responsibilities) work with ECB. Other partnerships include collaborating entities, volunteers, and grassroots Community Development Association
Since its launch in 2012, the Egyptian Clothing Bank have served over 12 million individuals all around Egypt.
Innovation & Circular Economy
Clothing Bank transforms textile waste into construction- panels—pioneering circular economy solutions that bridge social impact and environmental innovation.
One thing you might not have known is that textile waste can be recycled! Turning textile scraps into shoddy and then using that material to make into insulation panels and playground padding is a smart and sustainable innovation.
Presented at the Textile Recycling Expo in Brussels last June, this method offers a new way to reduce textile waste by repurposing it for building materials. It’s a promising solution that supports both recycling and eco-friendly construction. The insulation panels are currently under development in collaboration with research centers at universities in Spain and the Netherlands. Prototypes are expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Transforming Waste into Worth: The Clothing Bank’s Vision for Global Impact by 2030
By 2030 ECB plans to redistribute over
12 million
pieces of clothing/year
conserve more than
7 billion
liters of water
and divert
half a million
tons of textile waste
from landfills.
The organization contributes to water conservation by reducing the demand for new clothing through the provision of reused garments to underserved communities.
In 2024 alone, this effort translated into saving 7 million kiloliters of water by redistributing over 5 million pieces of clothing. It also wants its model to be replicated in other countries facing textile waste.
The Bank is not just giving clothes—it is showing a way that waste can be transformed into dignity, opportunity, and a more sustainable world.
ECB's work goes beyond charity - it is about sustainability, empowerment, and systemic change. Today ECB serves as a regional model of circular economy in action - transforming discarded materials into opportunities, while transforming lives with empathy and purpose.
By combining innovation, social solidarity, and sustainability, the Egyptian Clothing Bank proves that every fabric has value, and every human being deserves the dignity, opportunity, confidence, wellness and joy suitable functional fitting clothes provide.
Giving Clothes, Giving HOPE
