NSW
Blue Mountains City Council has partnered with Upcycle for Better (U4B) to install a textile recovery bin at both the Blaxland and Katoomba waste management facilities.
The bins take clothes of any kind, accessories such as belts, hats and shoes, as well as home and outdoor soft furnishings, towels, sheets, cushions, and even soft toys.
“We have a highly engaged community that is passionate about sustainable living, which means there is always a desire for more recycling options,” said Mayor, Mark Greenhill.
“Our Waste and Sustainability team are always investigating ways we can support that passion and the launch of the new textile recovery program is another way we’re helping the community work towards zero waste and enable the circular economy.”
The bins are free to use and the benefit of them is that there is zero waste. All items dropped in the bins will be sorted and reused by U4B in different ways, depending on their condition:
- Wearable clothing and items in good condition are sold for reuse. U4B sell the clothes wherever they’re most needed around the world and use that money to develop new recycling and upcycling programs.
- Unwearable or unusable items are sent for repair if possible or reprocessing as industrial cloths and recycling into products like flooring and rugs.
- The remaining items that can’t be recycled are used as processed engineered fuel for the construction industry.
Clothing and textile waste is a significant contributor of landfill in Australia. On average, each Australian buys over 14 kilograms of new clothing each year with the majority going to landfill (AFC NCPSS Data Report 2022).
