Got a wardrobe full of clothes you don’t wear, towels that have seen better days or sheets gathering dust in the cupboard?
Before you send them to landfill, give them another shot.
As part of National Recycling Week, Council is holding its annual free clothing and textile drop-off from Monday 9 to Sunday 15 November.
Residents can drop off unwanted clothing and textiles for free at any Council waste facility. Clothing, shoes, underwear, sheets, doona covers, pillowcases, towels, face cloths, tea towels and tablecloths are all accepted.
Pillows and doonas, mattress toppers, soft toys, electric blankets, furniture, fabric offcuts and items stained with paint or grease can’t be accepted. And remember, clothes and textiles don’t belong in your yellow recycling bin either.
Clothing and textiles will be sent to RRR recycling where they are sorted into grades and fully recycled into twine on a roll such as cotton, polyester, acrylics and wool.
Other materials such as nylons, rayons, elastics and mix blends make up a mix called shoddy which is then used in railway blankets, insulation, and flooring.
Missed the free drop-off? Don’t throw in the towel.
There are plenty of other ways to give unwanted clothes and textiles a second life.
Donate items that are still in good condition to a local charity or not-for-profit, organise a clothes swap with family, friends or neighbours, sell them through local buy, swap and sell groups, or go old school with a garage sale.
For clothes and textiles that really have reached the end of the road, think about what else they could become. For example, old shirts and towels could make handy cleaning rags around the house.
If you have clean blankets or towels, local vets or animal shelters may be able to put them to good use.
Watch our latest Recycling Reality Check video to see why your old clothes might not be ready for the bin.
