Info:
Clothes and textiles make up around 6% of household waste in the UK, even although they can be reused or recycled.
Reduce:
Save money and waste by cutting up old clothes and using as cloths and dusters.
Use a dress agency to hire an outfit for that special occasion or to sell a good quality dress you no longer wear. For local contacts see the Yellow Pages or W: www.yell.com.
Reuse:
Star Action:
Donate unwanted clean clothes to charity shops. Any items that cannot be sold will be sent for reuse or recycling via a rag merchant.
Many bargain vintage and unique items can also be discovered in charity shops. See CHARITY SHOPS, check the Edinburgh Charity Shop and Reuse Map on the Changeworks website or request a copy:
| T: | 0131 555 4010 |
|---|
Other good sources of second-hand clothing are retro/vintage shops and car boot sales. For local contacts see the Yellow Pages or W: www.yell.com.
'Swishing' is becoming a popular way to swap clothes. Look out for local 'Swishing Parties'. W: www.swishingparties.com aims to be the definitive guide for women looking for a swishing party in their town. If you are organising a swishing party and would like to promote it, you can list it on this site for free.
Or you can swish online for free at:W: www.swishing.co.uk
Alchemy Arts accept donations of fabric and clothes for art work:
| T: | 07853 872 073 |
|---|
Bits and Bobs Scrapstore and Borders Scrap Stores accept donations of fabric for art work. See Donations of Materials for Arts and Crafts for contact details.
The Magic Wardrobe uses fabrics to create dressing-up clothes for children to raise money for the National Childbirth Trust. Unwanted dress or furnishing fabrics, fancy buttons, lace, braid, ribbon, elastic etc. can be donated. Used but clean fabrics are welcome (no clothes). For further information or to arrange a collection contact:
| T: | 0131 667 4813 |
|---|
The Warm Hearts Quilts Group accept used (good condition) cotton and polycotton duvet covers and double/king size sheets as well as other pieces of suitable washable fabric (minimum 12 inches square) and make them into patchwork quilts to give to local people in need, including local hospices, residential homes and other charities both home and abroad.
Waste Innovations accept textiles for arts projects:
| T: | 0131 661 6615 |
|---|
Recycle:
Use Textile Recycling Points (W: www.sort-it.org.uk). Clothes, blankets, curtains, shoes (paired), fabric and handbags are accepted, as are poor quality textiles/clothes.
Items are taken to a reprocessing centre to be sorted. They are often exported to developing countries whilst the unwearable items are re-spun into new clothes, cut up for rags or reprocessed to make roofing and carpet felt, furniture padding etc.
The items listed above can be recycled using the textiles bag in the kerbside collection in Edinburgh. See KERBSIDE RECYCLING.
Environmental Suggestion:
Cotton is one of the world's most polluting crops, responsible for 25% of all pesticide use each year. Organic cotton clothes are increasingly available in high street shops or by mail order. See Mail Order Catalogues.
Cisera collect clothing in good condition to sell on at car boot sales to raise funds for their organisation which helps international students.
| Cisera | |
| Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre | |
| St John's, Princes Street | |
| Edinburgh | |
| EH2 4BJ | |
| T: | 07838 997 995 |
| E: | helpus@cisera.org |
| W: | www.cisera.org |