Clothes and shoes

a clothing and shoes recycling bank
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Top five tips on reusing and recycling textiles

1. Take them to your nearest clothing and shoe bank

Recycling textiles in north London is easy, with so many clothing and shoe banks available. Both good quality and damaged items can be donated, provided they are in a bag to keep them clean and dry, and shoes are tied together in pairs. To find clothing and shoe banks in your borough, visit Recycle for London's recycling bank locator.  

2. Swap with or donate to friends and family

Swap shops, swishing, clothes swaps and frock exchanges are increasingly popular events. All you need to do is ask your friends and neighbours to find at least one item of clothing that they no longer want, then bring it to the party and let the swapping begin! You could also contact your local council  for details of any swapping events near you.

3. Make them into something new

Be creative and learn new skills to reduce your waste and save you money. Why not cut up your slightly worn duvet cover and turn it into a stylish new dress? If you need some guidance, there may be sewing classes and craft clubs which you can join in your local area.

4. Reuse for domestic use

Use floral scarves or off cuts of pretty fabric for funky gift wrapping. Tear up old t-shirts or sheets to make rags and cleaning cloths.

5. Take them to a local charity shop or jumble sale

There may be regular car boot sales, jumble sales and fetes in your borough where you can take your unwanted textiles to be sold. Alternatively, you can take them to a local charity shop. Use The Association of Charity Shops' handy tool to help you find your nearest.

Make your pledge to donate your pre-loved shoes and textiles to your nearest re-use and recycling centre and recieve a free reusable cotton bag.

 

What happens to textiles after collection?

When textile banks are emptied, the items are taken to a facility to be sorted

Good quality items which can be worn again, are sorted, packed and sent for reuse, often exported to other countries where clothing from the UK is valued highly

Damaged items are separated out and sent for recycling so they can be made into new, useful items 

Absorbent items (soiled/torn t-shirts, sweatshirts) are separated out to be made into wiping/cleaning cloths with little or no further processing