Reusing clothing and textiles

There are many options for reusing or recycling textiles, find out the best solutions for you.

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

Reuse and recycle

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.

Sell online

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.

Household Recycling Centres

All 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

Charities

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

Duvets or pillows shouldn't be recycled into a textile bank:

some charities such as Maggs take clean duvets and pillows for reuse by people setting up home
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