Many recycling centres now have a bank for textiles, including old clothes, curtains, bedding, blankets etc. But, sadly, clothes banks are only operating at about 25% capacity at the moment, so there’s lots of room for improvement in textile recycling. There is often a special bank for old shoes to be put in too, however, if these are not available, they can be put into textile banks. But remember to tie them together so they don’t get separated! Another great way to recycle old clothes, bedding, curtains, and blankets is to take them to the charity shops on any high street, where they will help raise money and be put to good use – but only donate clean usable items!

Other things you can do
Use any unrecyclable textiles as cleaning cloths around your home. Old woollen blankets and carpets can be used in the garden to create a new flower bed. Lay the carpet on top of any weeds etc, cover with fresh soil, compost or manure and let nature do its work. The blanket suppresses and kills the weeds, then rots away naturally.

DID YOU KNOW?
Every year in the UK, nearly three billion nappies are thrown away - 90% of which end up in landfill, where they can take hundreds of years to decompose. Using modern re-useable nappies could make a big difference.