Reusing clothing and textiles

Each person in the UK throws 35 items of clothing into the bin every year with £140 million wroth of used, but still wearable clothing ending up in the waste stream in the UK each year.

There are many options for reusing or recycling textiles, but the best option for you will depend on the quality of the textiles you have.

• if you have clothing or textiles in good condition in the first instance donate them to a local charity shop or sell online on sites such as eBay or Vinted 
• all of the Household Recycling Centres (except for Upton-upon-Severn) have textile recycling banks which will take clothes, textiles (curtains, bedding etc) and paired shoes
  • please tie shoes together and put items into a plastic bag before putting into the textile bank
  • the banks will also take clean, but tatty clothing which is used as industrial rags – please do not put clothing stained with paint or oil into the banks
• recycle via bags put through your door but be careful about which charities they collect for as some are not legitimate
  • to check if the charity is registered, please check the Charity Commission website
• please do not put duvets or pillows into a textile bank
  • some charities such as Maggs take clean duvets and pillows for reuse by people setting up home and some animal charities will take duvets to make dog beds – please check with individual charities

Top tips for having a sustainable wardrobe

The most sustainable thing in your wardrobe is the clothes that are currently in it!  Try and avoid buying new clothes unnecessarily by following these tips:

• buy clothing that is well made and that will last a while
• avoid “fast fashion” which is usually poorly made and cheap
• reduce the amount of clothing you buy
• start by not buying anything new for a month or two and bag yourself some preloved bargains either online or from a charity shop
• consider repairing, altering and repurposing old clothes
• find a local business who can do the alterations or look for tutorials online to learn a new skill
• read labels and care for your clothing by washing them at the correct temperature
• shoes, belts and handbags are also recyclable
• tie dye light coloured clothes that are stained or grubby or if they are beyond wearing or use them as rags and washing cloths
• look at retailers’ take back schemes, which often give you a voucher to use in store
• try hiring items for big events such as weddings when you will only wear something once