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We talk about "recycling responsibly" a lot but what does it actually mean...
We’ll be real with you, it’s easy to get confused about what we can and can’t recycle in the UK.
Most local authorities have different rules, So yeah, your neighbours one road over might be able to put something in the recycling bin that you can’t. Lots of people fall into the trap of “wish-cycling”, putting something in the recycling bin *hoping* that they’re doing the right thing. Spoiler alert: you’re not. We can’t tell you exactly what you can and can’t recycle…you’ll need to check what your local rules for that one. We can, however, give you 411 on “responsible recycling” when it comes to clothes.
Where can I recycle clothes?
Great Britain sends 700,000 tonnes of clothing to recycling centres, textile banks, clothes collections and to charity each year. That’s enough to fill 459 Olympic-size swimming pools. (ClothesAid)
Before we get stuck into the ins and outs of what actually happens to clothes when they’re recycled, we need to talk about where you can recycle your clothes. We’re talking about the clothes that are too stained, too damaged or too worn to be loved again by someone else.
If you’re looking for something local, see if your council offers textile recycling. They will have information on their website about where you can drop your clothes off. It’s important to note that this won’t be in your regular recycling bin. Big supermarkets also often have textile collections bins that are run by charities.
So we don’t want to be throwing shade, but not everything that gets put in the recycling bin is actually recycled. Frustrating, we know!
This can be for a few reasons: lack of resources to actually sort the clothes; irresponsible contractors not fulfilling their duties; lack of facilities and money. They can end up sitting in warehouses, or worse, end up in landfill. If you’ve got your concerns, don’t be afraid to ask questions. A responsible recycler will be happy to walk you through their process, partners and logistics.
Want something 100% reliable? Recycle your clothes with Reskinned.
We have a 0% to landfill policy. Send us your old items or drop them off at a participating retailer and we’ll sort them by hand. Many will be resold, repaired or upcycled. Those really past it items will be recycled responsibly.
What happens when we recycle your old clothes?
There are two types of recycling. The most common and traditional method is called Mechanical Recycling. The more innovative and developing type of recycling is called Chemical Recycling. First up, we sort everything by hand, remove all extras like buttons and zips, and then categorise it. All items are assessed by what type of recycling they are suited for and are then sent on their way to the relevant plant.
What is Mechanical Recycling?
This is a more classic type of textile recycling. It involves shredding textiles down into fine rags. These rags can then be used for stuffing new products. It’s what lines your car, your pet beds, even your house insulation. We work closely with brands to find ways to turn their textile waste into resources for their own products. For example, we’ve helped a popular activewear brand recycle old leggings into stuffing for their punch bags.
What is Chemical Recycling?
Chemical recycling is fibre to fibre recycling. Lots of people think that textile recycling always means turning old fabrics into new fabrics. This isn’t really the case, but we are getting there. It’s a really complicated process which involves breaking down clothing back into fibres and then respinning them into a new type of fibre. That fibre can then become a new fabric and, eventually, a new product.
This process gets pretty difficult when an item of clothing is a blended fabric- something that’s very common with highstreet clothing for cost and comfort. It's challenging to separate out those fibres and there aren’t lots of places in the world that even have the machinery to offer this type of recycling.
We work with those who do. So far we can recycle cotton and some cotton blends. Reskinned are also investing in research to drive this type of recycling forward. Fibre to fibre recycling is the definition of circular economy. The more progress made, the more we can slow down the production of new fabrics and reduce fashion’s use of natural resources.
Wait, so what does it mean when I see “recycled polyester” on my clothing label?
It means that your item of clothing contains a percentage of recycled fibre. With something like polyester, this usually means that the material has been made using some other form of recycled plastic. Your jumper could be made out of used disposable water bottles. Recycled polyester fabric isn’t created by recycling old clothes or textiles.
At the end of the day...
Look, we’re with you. This stuff is complicated and pretty Sciency. It can be difficult to get your head round, especially when things are constantly changing and it can feel like there is simultaneously too much and too little on offer when it comes to passing on unwanted clothes.
We’ve got over 20 years of experience when it comes to textile recycling. We know what we’re doing and have built a network of trustworthy recyclers. No *wish-cycling* here. Send us your unwanted clothes and we’ll find them a new home, responsibly.