Basildon District Council : Council backs countywide campaign to reduce binned clothes

A countywide campaign to reduce the amount of clothes that are thrown away needlessly is being backed by Basildon Council.

More than half of the clothes binned in Essex could have been reused or recycled, a move which is costing the Essex taxpayer more than £1.5 million a year.

Every household in the county unnecessarily bins the equivalent of 36 woolly jumpers each year, according to Recycle for Essex, which is launching the campaign to educate residents that all textiles can be recycled.

Throughout January, Recycle for Essex will temporarily dump piles of binned clothes in Basildon, Brentwood, Chelmsford and Colchester to highlight to passers-by how much is going to waste.

The campaign will be coming to Eastgate Shopping Centre, Basildon, on Friday 12 January.

Cllr Alan Ball, Basildon Council's Chairman of the Regeneration and Environment Committee, said: 'Items of clothing that are unwanted may be of use to someone else. They can also be resold, reused, given to friends and family, recycled or given to charity.

'In Basildon, all clean clothing and textiles can be recycled, and it's never been easier with kerbside collections.

'These items are sent to suppliers in other countries, creating jobs for warehouse staff, haulage companies and stall holders.'

Recycle for Essex is urging residents to think 'do I need it?' before buying new clothes and to consider pre-owned options more frequently.

Learning long-lost repair and fixing skills can help breathe new life into clothes. Sharing and donating what's unwanted is also vital to keeping textiles out of the bin, because it's costing taxpayers more than £1.5 million each to year to dispose of.

There are over 150 textile banks across Essex including those at Recycling Centres, which can take good quality clothing, as well as clean, worn out clothes which may be ripped or have holes in.

Textiles are either reused or made into new material and used in everything from cloth wipes for industry to felt and yarn.

Find your closest bank at https://www.recyclenow.com/local-recycling

Ends/