Unwanted clothing can be donated at new textile banks being installed at 10 locations across Kirklees.

Kirklees Council has partnered with Textile Recycling International (TRI) to provide two collection bins – one for reusable items entitled: ‘Too Good to Throw Away’ and another for old clothes described as ‘Worn Out.’

The new locations include Springwood car park in Huddersfield town centre, Dalton, Newsome, Golcar, Scapegoat Hill and Emley.

Donors will find information on the front of each bank to explain the types and condition of textiles that can be donated.

TRI will then sort the clothing at their hub in Manchester where, as part of a wider trial, it will be recorded whether the banks have been used correctly.

Clothes in good condition will be sent on for resale, with the proceeds going to support Yorkshire charity Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, while those that are no longer wearable will be recycled.

Materials from items sent for recycling could be used by UK-based clothing and textile manufacturers to make new clothing to be sold in the UK, creating a completely circular system with minimal environmental impact.

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Clr Munir Ahmed, Cabinet member for environment and highways, said: “These new banks will remove any confusion as to what textiles can and cannot be recycled and make it even easier for residents to make the shift to a more circular economy.

“Once the data gathering has concluded the facilities will remain on site and continue to collect both reusable and non-reusable textiles, supporting our aim for a zero-waste future.

“Recycling is a great start, but it is important to fully embrace the hierarchy of waste by reducing waste, reusing what you can, and recycling everything possible.”

The trial is part of an Automatic-sorting for Circularity in Textiles (ACT UK) project, led by the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT).

Every year, the UK generates over one million tonnes of used textiles but new recycling processes mean that the possibilities to recycle fibres are increasing in the UK. The ACT UK project aims to enable the diverting of thousands of tonnes of textile waste from landfill and disposal each year.

  • The new clothing banks can be found at:
Location Address
Birkenshaw Community Hall Bradford Road, Birkenshaw BD11 2DR
Brighton Street WMC Brighton Street, Heckmondwike WF16 9EY
Dewsbury RLFC Tetley’s Stadium, Owl Lane, Dewsbury WF12 9RH
Edale Avenue Edale Avenue, Newsome, HD4 6LL
Emley Leys Lane Leys Lane, Emley HD8 9QY
Golcar Sycamore Court, Golcar, HD3 4SS
DRAM Sports and Community Centre Ridgeway, Dalton, HD5 9QJ
Scapegoat Hill Car park, Pike Law Lane, Huddersfield HD7 4NJ
Springwood Car Park Old Street, Springwood HD1 4AL
Westborough WMC Brunswick Street, Westborough WF13 4FD