Why should I recycle my clothes?

• Textiles are almost always recyclable, yet they make up a significant portion of landfill waste, where they will take a long time to break down, especially in the case of synthetic textiles.
• It takes a lot of energy to produce clothing. By recycling clothes when they are no longer wanted, you ensure that all that energy does not simply go to waste.
• The more you're able to reuse or recycle old clothing, the less room it takes up in landfill. Many of the items that end up in landfills could have been recycled.

What happens to my clothes after I recycle them?

London Recycles summarises:

• natural textiles are sorted by colour
• material textiles are broken down, cleaned and respun
• where appropriate some textiles are used to make filling material for padding and insulation
• synthetic textiles are broken down then melted the melted textiles can then be used to create fibres which can then be used to make new fabrics.
• In this way, your clothes can live on.

However, it still requires a lot of energy to break down and remake clothing items. If you think your clothes are still useable, but you don't want to use them, consider donating them.

How can I recycle my clothes?

If you decide that recycling clothes is the best option for you, use our search feature to find your nearest textile recycling point.