Can You Recycle Old Clothes? - Yes Guide (2026)

Last updated: 27 April 2026

Quick Answer

✓ Yes. Old clothes can go through textile recycling (H&M takeback, M&S Shwopping, charity shops). Even unwearable clothes are useful for fibre recycling and rags.

Where to recycle old clothes

The fastest way to find recycling for old clothes near you:

Use the eCycling Central recycling locator: /tools/recycling-locator - filter by waste type
Check the Top 50 US Electronics Recyclers for major operators
Local council websites maintain up-to-date drop-off lists for non-electronic household waste

What's involved

Old clothes can go through textile recycling (H&M takeback, M&S Shwopping, charity shops). Even unwearable clothes are useful for fibre recycling and rags.

Special handling and hazards

Soiled or contaminated clothes (paint, oil) should be trashed.

If you live in the United States, household hazardous waste (HHW) collection days are operated by every county - check your local solid waste authority for the next scheduled date. UK residents: check your council's bulky-waste collection rules.

What happens to recycled old clothes

When old clothes enters the proper recycling stream, the materials follow this path:

Aggregation at a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) or specialist processor
Sorting by composition - automated for high-volume streams (paper, plastic), manual for low-volume specialist streams
Cleaning and processing - shredding, washing, melting, or chemical separation as the material requires
Re-introduction to manufacturing - new products, packaging, infrastructure materials

For old clothes specifically, the recycled material typically becomes new consumer products in the same category, or is downcycled into industrial-grade applications (insulation, building aggregates, road surfacing).

Environmental impact of throwing old clothes in the trash

When old clothes ends up in landfill instead of recycling:

The material is permanently removed from the circular economy
Landfill space is consumed - estimated at $30-80 per tonne in disposal costs that taxpayers fund
Methane and CO2 are released as the material decomposes (or never decomposes, in the case of plastic and glass)

For perspective, the United States generates approximately 292 million tonnes of municipal solid waste per year (EPA 2024). Items like old clothes make up a measurable percentage of this stream and represent low-hanging fruit for reducing landfill volume.

Reuse options before recycling

Before sending old clothes to recycling, consider:

Donation if the item is intact and functional (charity shops, Freecycle, Facebook Marketplace)
Repair if practical - the second-hand value may exceed the recycling value
Repurpose for a different use (storage, craft material, garden use)
Sell to specialist secondhand buyers if value is high enough

The waste hierarchy (defined in the EU Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC and broadly mirrored in US state law) ranks reuse above recycling for environmental and economic reasons.

What about composting?

Composting is not appropriate for old clothes - the material does not break down under typical composting conditions and may contain non-organic contaminants.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put old clothes in my regular recycling bin? Yes - old clothes is accepted in standard curbside recycling in most US and UK jurisdictions.

Are there manufacturer or retailer takeback programmes for old clothes? Old clothes can go through textile recycling (H&M takeback, M&S Shwopping, charity shops). Even unwearable clothes are useful for fibre recycling and rags.

Is old clothes curbside-recyclable in the UK? UK curbside collection rules vary by council (363 different schemes). The general guidance for old clothes is the same as the US answer above, but check your specific council's recycling A-Z guide for definitive local rules. WRAP UK (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) maintains national guidance at recyclenow.com.

Can I recycle old clothes in California specifically? California has the strictest e-waste and recycling laws in the US (see California Electronics Recycling Law 2026). The general answer above applies, with stricter enforcement and broader collection infrastructure.

Related recycling guides

Sources and further reading

US EPA Sustainable Materials Management programme (2024 update)
WRAP UK recycle.now A-Z guidance
TerraCycle Zero Waste Box programme inventory
Local authority waste collection guidance (UK 363 councils, US 3,143 counties)
EU Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC