What Can I Recycle? Textiles

How can I reduce my impact?

Reducing the environmental impact our clothing has can be split in 2 ways: Buying and Binning.

Buying new clothes is necessary, but can contribute negatively to the environment, with pollution from clothes dyes and wastewater affecting ecosystems. As such, reducing the environmental impact of our textiles starts here.

‘Fast Fashion’ is one of the largest contributors to clothing waste in the UK. Some retail companies churn out the latest trends for as cheap as they can, often choosing to use less durable materials in order to keep costs down. The result of this is that the clothes we buy have a much shorter lifespan than clothes we may have bought 10 years ago. These trends tend to be short lived, only lasting for a few months before something else replaces them. The obvious way we can reduce our environmental impact is to buy less. Assess when you buy clothes whether you really need them or whether you are simply buying them to follow the latest trend. When you need to buy new clothes, spend time researching which ones will last the longest. It is cheaper to buy one good quality pair of jeans that will last for 3 years, rather than a cheaper pair of jeans which you will have to replace every year.

This brings us onto our second point: Binning

Many clothes in the UK are thrown away for simple reasons, like a missing button or a small tear. We should be asking ourselves; Can I mend it? Quite often it can be an easy quick fix and would stop many items from being discarded. Easy to follow online guides and tutorials are readily available and can make a real difference in helping to reduce our waste.

What can I do with my unwanted clothes?

There are many ways to reuse old fabrics to save them being thrown away. These are just some examples you can do at home:

Old sheets can be used to protect floors when decorating or doing DIY
Old t-shirts can be cut up and used as rags for cleaning
Old fabrics can become something new! Use them to design and make the next ‘World Book Day’ costume

Clothes that you no longer want can also be donated in various ways for reuse. Instead of discarding clothing that is still wearable, consider donating them in the following ways:

You can use our free tool to post old or unwanted clothes direct to The Salvation Army. Supporting charity and reducing clothing waste. What’s not to like?
Many high street retailers offer clothing donation bins in-store. You can find your nearest recycling point on our locator
If the clothes are still in very good condition, you could consider selling them on sites such as Vinted, eBay or Facebook Marketplace

Items that aren’t suitable for reuse or donating to charity can be recycled and repurposed into new items. Make sure old clothes and shoes are disposed of at recycling points rather than being put into the bin and destined for landfill. You can use our locator to find a clothing recycling bank near you.

So don’t forget, to help reduce your environmental impact – buy less! And when it does come time to clear out your wardrobe – repair, reuse, recycle and donate!

donate your clothes

How are unwanted clothing and textiles sorted and recycled?

When unwanted clothing and textiles are responsibly disposed of, they are typically sorted and recycled through varied methods. Here is an overview of the process:

Collection: Unwanted clothing and textiles are collected via various means, including collection banks, in-store textile recycling schemes, charity shops, household kerbside waste collection and donation portals such as ours.

Sorting: The items are then sorted based on their quality, purpose and condition. This is a skilled operation and is usually done by hand. This process helps to identify what can be reused, recycled, or repurposed. Items destined for recycling are often further sorted based on materials and colour
Reuse: Clothing which is of good quality is usually separated for reuse. These items will be sold on via charity shops or exported to other countries for resale. Rather than resale, some charities will distribute donated clothes to those in need
Recycling: Textiles that are not suitable for reuse will be sent for recycling. The textiles will be shredded or cut into smaller pieces, creating recycled fibres. These fibres can be used to make new textiles or products, such as insulation material
Repurposing: Certain textiles could be repurposed into new items, such as upholstery materials or quilts
Energy: Textiles that are not suitable for reuse or recycling may, in some cases, be used as a source of energy through incineration with energy recovery, which generates heat or electricity

Local authorities, charities, and private companies often lead the way when it comes to the collection and processing of clothes and textiles. However, recycling practices can vary in the UK, as they are dependent on the recycling facilities available in each region.

Textiles

What is the environmental impact of clothing?

The textile industry contributes around 10% of global greenhouse emissions and 20% of global waste water production. This is more than shipping and aviation combined. With proper collection and sortation, many items of clothing can be reused to give them a new lease of life.

Where to recycle clothing and textiles near me...

Reducing the environmental impact our clothing has can be split in 2 ways: Buying and Binning.

There are many ways to reuse old fabrics to save them being thrown away. These are just some examples you can do at home:

When unwanted clothing and textiles are responsibly disposed of, they are typically sorted and recycled through varied methods. Here is an overview of the process:

Textiles

What is the environmental impact of clothing?

The textile industry contributes around 10% of global greenhouse emissions and 20% of global waste water production. This is more than shipping and aviation combined. With proper collection and sortation, many items of clothing can be reused to give them a new lease of life.

Where to recycle clothing and textiles near me...

Reducing the environmental impact our clothing has can be split in 2 ways: Buying and Binning.

There are many ways to reuse old fabrics to save them being thrown away. These are just some examples you can do at home:

When unwanted clothing and textiles are responsibly disposed of, they are typically sorted and recycled through varied methods. Here is an overview of the process:

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