Collection banks, clothes swapping parties and charity shops
We throw away more than 1 million tonnes of textiles 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 waste reused or recycled annually in the UK is only around 25%.
Find a recycling bank near you
You can take clothes, shoes and textiles to some of our Smart Bank recycling sites.
Textiles - home collection service
The clothes charity TRAID offer free home collections for clothes and small electrical items which are then sent direct to the charity.
They accept:
- clothes
- paired shoes
- linen
- accessories
- homeware
- books
- music
- bric-a-brac.
Collections are made at a time convenient to you so donations are not left outside vulnerable to theft and bad weather. Donations should be in good condition to be resold in their charity shops.
All TRAID asks is that people using this service have a minimum donation of at least one large bin liner sized bag.
Book a free home collection with TRAID.
Textiles drop-off points at our libraries
Shepherd’s Bush Library
6 Wood Lane, W12 7BF
Hammersmith Library
Shepherds Bush Road, W6 7AT
Fulham Library
598 Fulham Road, SW6 5NX
Swishing - clothes swapping party
We all love fabulous new clothes but not the unfortunate side effects. Swishing or clothes swapping is a fantastic way for you to refresh your wardrobe. It’s free and it’s great for the environment.
Visit the Swishing website to view a calendar of events or to find information about organising your own party.
Charity shops
These are a great place for donating unwanted clothes. They raise lots of money for valuable causes and provide an inexpensive way to buy clothes too.
To find your nearest charity shop using an online postcode locator visit the Association of Charity Shops website.