Textiles
Textiles make up about 4%, by weight, of household waste and it is estimated that £400 million worth of textiles a year are not recycled or reclaimed in the UK.
Taking clothes to charity shops and jumble sales helps raise local and world-wide funding. Many such shops will take household linen, paired shoes, handbags, belts and other items as well. If you have an item of clothing that you do not need any more, but is also in good condition, why not donate it to your local re-use group? When you donate an item, you will be helping a project which supports somebody who is living on benefits or low wages, or needs emergency support.
You can find out about your nearest re-use organisations here.
Re-using your household items will save a significant amount of energy compared to disposal, and also less energy than recycling, as even reprocessing materials will require energy.
If your items of clothing are not in a reasonable condition, then you might be able to take it to your local household waste recycling centre, where it could be recycled. To see whether your furniture can be taken there, please visit here for guidance.
Our recycling / disposal advice
Give unwanted clothes and accessories to local charity shops or jumble sales, or take them to a textile bank.
Old clothes, linen and paired shoes are also accepted in textile banks at recycling points as long as they are clean. Wearable materials are resold in charity shops and developing countries while unwearable materials are recycled and used for filling materials, wiper cloths or the fibres are reclaimed and re-spun. Most textile banks request that the items deposited are bagged.
Use the search below to find where to recycle / dispose of Textiles.