Recycle clothes, bedding and textiles
Free and easy recycling options for most textile items. Choose one convenient for you.
When you need to do this
If you’re a City of Sydney resident and want to dispose of old and worn-out clothes, bedding or sewing off-cuts sustainably.
Recycle It Saturday is here 23 May
Drop off old electronics, unwearable clothes, polystyrene, x-rays, small metal items, bicycles and more for recycling.
See us from 9am to 3pm at Alexandra Canal Depot. For City of Sydney, Waverley and Woollahra council residents only.
We also accept furniture in great condition to be rehomed through The Bower, helping keep valuable items out of landfill.
What you need to do
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Check if your items are unusable or unwearable
Only items in bad condition are accepted for recycling.
✔️ What’s accepted
- Unusable and unwearable items only
- Clothes no longer wearable, worn-out, torn, with holes, stained or pilling including pants, tops, dresses, jumpers, jackets, coats, shorts, stockings, hats, ties, scarves, gloves and socks
- Shoes: shoelaces, sneakers, sandals, boots, thongs, high heels
- Bedding: blankets, duvets, doonas, quilts, sheets, pillows, fabric mattress protectors and sleeping bags.
- Towels and tea towels
- Soft toys (remove any batteries)
- Cushions and curtains (remove any hooks and eyelets or cut off the top section)
- Reusable shopping bags made from fabric
- Rolls of fabric and offcuts (remove all sewing pins and needles)
❌ What’s not accepted
- No clothes in good condition, belts and handbags – please donate them to a local charity
- No bras, underwear, boxers, reusable nappies and swimwear
- No suitcases
- No plastic mattress protectors
- No pet beds, blankets and bedding with animal fur, hair or odours.
- No carpets, rugs, curtains with hooks and eyelets, any textile items with electric components such as electric blankets
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Clean your items
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Choose a recycling option convenient for you
Give your items a wash before you recycle them. They should be dry and free of mould and chemicals.
City of Sydney residents can use these services free of charge.
Consider reuse
We all move on from clothes and shoes but pieces in good condition deserve a second life. If your items are still in good condition, first try to find them a new home to keep them in circulation.
- Join a free clothes swap event. City of Sydney residents can bring up to 5 quality items and exchange them for pre-loved finds from fellow swappers.
- Donate to local charities.
- Advertise on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Trading Post, eBay, Freecycle or Rosella Street. Learn how to sell your stuff online fast.
By swapping, selling or donating, you’re clearing space in your wardrobe and supporting more circular and sustainable fashion.
Find out more about how to give your pre-loved clothes a new life.
Get recycling help
What happens next
Unusable clothes, bedding and textiles are collected by Textile Recyclers Group. They’re sorted in Cranebrook, NSW and sent to India, where zips and buttons are removed for reuse and the fabric is mechanically shredded. Your old items are turned into recycled products including yarn, bags, socks, felts, underlay, insulation, furniture filler and rugs.
Your worn-out textiles are shredded and repurposed into versatile materials like felt.
Donna Vicente / City of SydneyWhy it’s important to recycle textiles
The fashion industry is now the planet’s third largest polluter, releasing 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Australians throw away more than 6,000kg of textiles and clothing every 10 minutes – that’s enough to fill a 50m swimming pool twice.
By making smarter shopping choices including swapping, selling, donating or recycling the right way, you can give your clothes a second life and help Sydney keep them out of landfill.
