Recycling Clothing and Textiles in UK 

Introduction

During the course of our lives, most of us accumulate a substantial wardrobe, much of which sits in drawers or cupboards discarded and unused until we need the space, or decide to move house. It then gets thrown out in the general refuse, and when this happens most, if not all of it will end up in landfill.

The fashion industry plays a major part in this,  encouraging us as it does to part with our hard-earned cash to get frequent fashion ‘updates’. Much of the less expensive  fashion-ware we buy is generated as cheaply as possible in 3rd world ‘sweat shops’ which are designed to bring in valuable hard currency for their countries’  economies…and create wealth for a few.

The fashion clothing industry probably represents the most overt form of planned obsolescence out there, and like all other manifestations of this now discredited, and extremely wasteful, commercial practice, will need to be curbed if we are to achieve sustainability in the years to come. Fortunately, many of us in the UK are already thinking twice about our next fashion purchase in response the cost of living crisis, and this trend looks set to continue. Every cloud has a silver lining, as they say…

We can (and should) all reduce the amount of clothing we buy in response to the dictates of the fashion industry, and I’ll be discussing how we can resist these influences later on. But what can we do about the ‘old’ clothing we already have ?

In this article I’ll try to provide an indication of how best to recycle your unwanted clothes and present an outline of what happens to it when you do so. As in the case of electrical goods, there are more and less sustainable ways of disposal, and I’ll try to highlight these as we progress.

First, let’s put some flesh on the bones by looking at the size of the problem, and consider how the textile recycling industry deals with the mountain of material we throw at it.

Textile Recycling in UK

Every year, the UK sends a staggering 1,200,000 tonnes of textiles to landfill (see Figure 2).

Of that 1.2 million, approximately 350,000 tonnes are items of discarded clothing. But why are so many clothes and textile items going to landfill, rather than getting recycled in other ways?

To understand this, we need to look at the bigger picture and focus on what happens at the end of a garment’s life.

Do any of our discarded textiles actually get recycled into new products ?

The short answer to the question of whether textiles actually get recycled into new products is yes – but only where it is possible and economically viable to do so. In common with most of our recycling industry, textile recycling is commercially driven, and therefore needs to remain profitable for it to continue.

How does the industry remain commercially viable ?

Textiles are made from all sorts of different fibres. This means textile recycling isn’t as straightforward as recycling something like paper. For instance, cotton fabrics are recycled in an entirely different way than are textiles made from man-made polymeric materials such as polyester. With blended textiles, e.g. a poly-cotton blend, recycling is pretty much impossible. This is because there is no current economically viable way of separating the individual fibre types to generate an affordable end product. Unfortunately, a substantial amount of cheap ‘fashion-ware’ is made of this type of material and thus ends up in landfill.

How are clothes collected for transfer to recycling facilities ?

Textile recyclers receive clothes from a wide variety of sources. One important and growing source in the UK in recent years has been charity shops (see Figure 5). The problem, though, is that these shops receive a huge volume of clothes that simply aren’t suitable for selling on to the public. There are various reasons for this - donations could be rejected for sale because of things like stains, damage or other forms of contamination. To dispose of their burden of unsaleable items, charity shops therefore have to arrange transfer to recycling facilities for them, and this may incur charges. Another source is public textile bins or clothing banks. Clothes deposited in these are usually sorted for recycling, sent to charities, or sent abroad.

What is done with textiles that aren’t economically recyclable?

Textiles that aren’t suitable for recycling will usually end up in UK landfill sites, but may also be exported overseas for reuse in poorer nations, or incinerated to create energy.

What happens to recyclable clothes at Recycling Facilities?

Once textiles arrive at recycling facilities, they are sorted by material type (see Figure 3). For example, cottons would first be separated from wools and nylons. Once the clothes have been sorted, they are cleaned and processed into reusable fibres. The clothes are typically shredded to make the fibres easier to spin into new yarns or fabrics. The recycled fibres can be used to create a variety of products depending on their quality. Some of the higher quality fibres may be made directly into new garments. Lower quality products may go to rag recycling where they are used to make things like carpet underlay and dust cloths.

The Need for Shredding

Most recycling processes require waste textiles to be shredded initially before any further operations are performed. In addition to this normal process-driven shredding, many textiles require shredding for security reasons before entering the sorting and recycling process. Old uniforms, for example, may feature company logos, and these must be removed to avoid the risk of employee impersonation.  Last season’s higher-end fashion garments and accessories may also need to be destroyed to protect the integrity of a brand and avoid the risk of counterfeiting (See Figure 1).

When textiles are shredded the materials are sorted by fibre type wherever possible. Recyclable shredded textiles are sent to rag recycling facilities, and non-recyclable textiles to incineration facilities where they are used to generate energy for the National Grid.

Why is textile waste so hard to recycle?

This is primarily because textiles are often made from a complex mix of materials. Because of this, there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ recycling solution that works for all types of textiles.

When cotton is recycled, for example, it is shredded into small pieces and then pulled apart into fibres. The fibres are then spun into new cotton yarns. However, when polyester (a recyclable plastic polymer) is recycled, it is shredded into smaller fragments and then has to be melted down and re-spun into new polymers. The two procedures are too diverse to combine, so dual processing methods aren’t feasible and the materials must be separated and processed differently.

What fabrics cannot currently be recycled?

Unfortunately, many types of modern fabric can’t be recycled, and that at least partly accounts for the huge volume of textiles which enters UK landfill sites each year. Some of the fabrics that aren’t currently economically recyclable include: blended textiles, contaminated clothing and clothes with embellishments like sequins or beads.

The future of textile recycling in the UK

While a sizeable proportion of our textiles aren’t currently recyclable, there is some hope of improvement. We are in an age where creating environmentally friendly alternatives to consumable products is recognised as essential to save resources and protect the environment. As a result, innovation is happening everywhere, both in garment manufacture and the methods used to recycle them.

A number of UK textile recyclers have already joined a £4 million project to revolutionise textile recycling here. The project, ACT UK, aims to create a model to sort and prepare non-re-wearable textiles for recycling in a new and scaleable way. Many other innovative projects are also in progress across the globe, including a project that hopes to be able to separate blended textiles at scale.

Last, but not least, there are also many plant-based and eco-friendly alternatives to non-recyclable materials being created across the world, and if these continue to gain market share they will radically improve our ability to recycle clothes efficiently.

What Can We as Consumers do to Help ?

As in the case of electrical goods, our contribution as consumers will be a key factor  in driving change.

We can all take more care in our purchasing habits, and the take-home message has to be – think before you buy…it’s kinder to the environment and it may actually save you money in the long run.

We can also do a lot to help recycle our used textiles more efficiently, as I’ll discuss later.

Let’s take a look at purchasing first. Before you hit the online ‘Buy it Now’ button or hand over your credit card in one of the fashion retail outlets, take some time to evaluate whether your purchase is really necessary.

The first step in this evaluation process is to assess what you already have – even a quick look at your wardrobe, clothes drawers and cupboards may give you quite a surprise.

Check out whether any of the many items you’d forgotten you had would suffice for the job in mind. Fashion is essentially a cyclic process and, as in many aspects of life, the principle of ‘what goes around comes around’ applies. You may find that something you bought as ‘high fashion’ 10 years ago has come back in, and is now all the rage again. If nothing else, your wardrobe inspection should be quite revealing, and may also bring back some happy memories associated with a particular outfit…

If you’re still convinced that only something fresh will suffice, think about sustainability…and cost implications. Although a cheap fashion item will hit your budget less hard than something more expensive, and may thus appear to be a bargain, it’s unlikely to be as well-made, and therefore won’t last as long. It may even get damaged or even shed its colour the first time you wash it.

If you’re looking for something you plan to wear often, and want the garment to be comfortable and last, consider a more expensive option – you’ll find this works out cheaper in the long run, since you won’t have to replace it as soon. By keeping your clothes for longer, you’ll also be reducing the UK’s vast textile recycling pile and helping the planet…

You might even want to consider repairing your ‘old’ garment if it’s just sustained some minor damage or is a bit worn. Charity shops are doing a roaring trade in second hand sewing and dressmaking kit. The ‘art’ of mending your clothes and ‘making do’ is definitely returning, and is a skill well-worth acquiring in this ever more expensive age.

If you’re still intent on buying, the other option worth considering is to buy second hand. As I’ll discuss later, the second hand clothes market has mushroomed in response to the cost of living crisis, and it’s never been so easy to purchase clothes at much-reduced prices online. Charity shops are also thriving and provide a good local alternative to online shopping, particularly if you want to support charitable causes. There are some real bargains to be had for those willing to spend the time and effort of scouring their local area.

If you still find that only brand new items will do it for you, the other aspect of your purchase to consider is your power to apply consumer pressure. Today’s cheap fashion industry still thrives on our past throw-away attitude to consumables, despite environmental concerns, and it has actually been helped by the cost of living crisis. This is because the decline in our real spending power the crisis has caused provides a powerful incentive to buy cheaper goods. As consumers, we can all take a more responsible view and ‘vote with our credit cards’. By not buying clothes which are effectively disposable, and campaigning for more durable and more easily recyclable goods, we can force the industry to adapt and provide them. And it certainly will eventually, given enough pressure.

So much for purchasing new or used items – what about recycling the items you no longer need ?

Recycling your ‘old’ clothes

Your ‘wardrobe review’ may already have surprised you about the quantity of stuff you have. Most of it will be relatively unworn and therefore have at least some residual value.

In recent months there has been a big increase in online selling platforms with the likes of Vinted and other specialised selling sites all now competing for your used clothing. Even eBay have joined in the fray in earnest by waiving their fees on used clothing items (*I would caution against selling on  eBay at present for reasons which I’ll discuss later – see footnote below).

If you do plan to try selling your item online, it’s worth checking what sort of price a similar item is likely to fetch before placing an ad on your chosen platform. This will ensure your item is realistically priced and doesn’t hang fire. Also, beware of payment scams, and never send your item out to a buyer before you’ve confirmed their payment has arrived in your account. If possible, use an anonymised receiving account such as PayPal rather than your own bank account – this will avoid supplying the buyer with your bank details, which could then be used by a scammer. If you prefer to avoid the hassle of mailing the item, make sure your buyer is bona fide before arranging an in-person pick-up and insist on cash on collection.

If you just can’t face the hassle and the potential pitfalls of selling, there are many options for donation, and your local charity shop would no doubt be happy to receive a donation, provided the item is saleable.  Some will even collect from your home. To avoid a wasted journey, it’s worth contacting the shop to ensure they are currently willing to accept donations before you visit– some charity shops regularly get inundated with goods and have to block further donations temporarily in order to catch up.

Another option for your donations is to use a clothing bank (see Figure 4) – these have sprung up in many car parks and other public spaces recently and can provide a quicker way of disposal if you have one near you.

Many areas also have local doorstep clothing collections. Some volunteer collectors will even post a plastic bag through your letterbox for your old clothing, but these are becoming scarcer, presumably due to the cost of bags and environmental issues with single use plastics.

In short, there’s no excuse not to recycle your old clothes – if you recycle them now, you’ll be saving yourself valuable wardrobe and drawer space, helping the planet…and those less well-off than yourself. You may even make the clear-up for your next house move a little less traumatic !

Final Thoughts

Although as in most walks of life we have a long way to go to achieve true sustainability in our garment ‘cycle’, there is hope for the future of textile recycling.

Consumers are beginning to adopt a more cautious attitude to cheap fashion, and on the other side of the coin, textile processing is undergoing some limited innovation. Much more is needed however, and we as consumers can help drive the changes necessary. 

We are all now painfully aware of the mess we’ve been making of our environment over the past 100 years or so, and are therefore more receptive to calls for recycling action.

I hope this article, and the other three in our recycling series, have helped inspire our readers to recycle more.

As always - Happy Recycling….

First published 2.6.24; Revised 20.2.25

*eBay – a warning about fraudulent return requests. To cut a long and sad story short, eBay have a returns policy heavily biased in favour of the buyer, and some fraudsters are now actively ‘playing the system’. Their strategy is to  fraudulently claim an item they've received is ‘not as described’, and their claim is then automatically accepted by eBay’s all-electronic returns ‘assessment’ system. The unfortunate seller then has the option of either paying for return postage to get the item back, or letting the buyer have the item for nothing to save on the cost of the return postage. Most sellers of low value items opt for the latter to cut their losses. Beware !

To avoid being caught out by this as a seller, take a look at a recent article posted on this topic which provides some useful tips.

Figures

Figure 1: Textile Waste After Shredding 

Figure 2: ‘Sea’ of Landfilled Waste 

Figure 3: Sorting Used Clothes 

Figure 4: Clothing Banks in Action

Figure 5: Charity Shop Clothes Collection