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Clothing & textiles

Textiles and clothing cannot be placed in Waverley’s kerbside recycling bins. Instead, consider diverting these items from landfill in one of the following ways:

Sell or give away online

Consider giving away or reselling clothing on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree. Check Eventbrite and Humanitix for local swap events.

Donate good condition items

Charitable organisations and community groups may provide clothing directly to those in need, or they may resell donated clothing to fund their programs. It's essential that donations are clean and in good condition (no rips or stains).

Always check that the organisation will accept your specific items for donation and never leave items on the footpath near bins or charity shops. Learn more at the links below:

• Vinnies shops resell good used condition clothing and housewares to fund their programs.
• Salvos Stores resell donated goods to help fund their services and activities.
• The Wayside Chapel operates a community service centre and outreach programs. They accept clothing for direct donation or resale in their op shops.
• Dress For Success and Fitted For Work help dress disadvantaged women in professional attire so that they can find work.
• Shoes For Planet Earth distributes reused running shoes to those in need around the world.
• The Uniform Exchange provides a free community website to promote uniform reuse for every school in Australia.
• Give now is a searchable directory of organisations that collect clothing.
• Red Cross shops sell new and used clothing to raise funds to help those in need.
• Search for Op Shops in your area on opshop.org.
• Waverley Council Problem Waste Drop-Off Events accept a range of household items including good condition clothing.

Unwanted or Damaged Clothing

• Make rags from old clothes. Old tee shirts and linens can be cut into rags for cleaning and other household chores. When no longer useable, dispose of in the red bin.
• H&M and Zara have garment collection programs for used clothes from any fashion label in any condition, which they reuse or recycle.*
• Sheridan accepts used sheets and towels (any brand) at Sheridan Boutiques, Studios or Outlet stores.*
• Upparel and After offer a home collection service for used and unwearable textiles ranging from clothing items to wireless bras, to socks, shoes, bathers and more.
• Find a local upcycler. Boomerang Bags may accept your old textiles to upcycle into reusable tote bags. Find your nearest group.
• Check your local animal rescue organisation. Animal shelters will sometimes accept linens and towels.

* Some stores have stopped providing clothing bins due to Covid so it is suggested to give them a call before bringing items

Close the loop by shopping smart

The fashion industry produces far more clothing than is needed. Overproduction of textiles comes with a steep social and environmental cost. You can help counter this waste by shopping secondhand, swapping with friends and only buying clothing you intend to wear again and again. Small wear patches and holes can be mended at home or by a local tailor to extend the life of your clothes.

Waverley apartment building textile recovery trial

Waverley Council is trailing a textile recovery program to divert unwanted clothing and shoes from landfill in apartment buildings with more than 40 units. There is no cost to the building. More info here.

If you’d like your building to take part, email environment@waverley.nsw.gov.au with the building address, number of apartments and main contact person or check our dedicated page to know more.