Did you know?

It is estimated that more than 1 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every year, with most of this coming from household sources. Textiles make up about 3% by weight of a household bin. At least 50% of the textiles we throw away are recyclable, however the proportion of textile wastes reused or recycled annually in the UK is only around 25%.

Reduce

Buy higher quality, longer lasting clothes. They will save you money in the long run and reduce waste.

Reuse

Consider buying your clothes second hand from charity shops and donating any unwanted items to them at the same time.  You can often find some unusual items. Look for recycled content.

There are many ways to customise or use old clothes and fabrics to make new ones. For ideas on how to get started have a look in your local library for books or the internet at sites like Burda Style, where you can download free patterns and step-by-step tutorials that show you how to make new clothes out of old or customise existing clothes.

Recycle

Please do not put your textiles in your clear sacks, green bins or communal recycling banks.  They cannot be recycled this way.

You can recycle or reuse unwanted textiles at the Smugglers Way Household Waste and Recycling Centre.

The Smugglers Way HWRC accepts:

We receive adult and children’s items as listed below:

Skirts, Blouses, Dresses, Trousers, Shorts, Shirts, Jeans, T-shirts, Coats, Jackets, Underwear, Socks, Tracksuits, Nightwear, Towels, Duvet covers, Bed sheets, Pillow cases, Tea Towels, Swimwear, Ties, Scarves, Coats, Curtains, Cushion covers, Table cloths and napkins.  Please make sure they are clean and dry.

The Centre will also accept the following non-textile items:

pair of shoes, pair of boots, belts, hats and handbags  (all shoes should be placed in pairs and secured together using an elastic band or string.

It does not accept:

Quilted bedding, duvets, sleeping bags, soft bags, cushions, upholstered furniture, pillows, beanbags, large volumes of heavy blankets, wellington boots, offcuts from manufacturing process and  unfinished garments.