Archived on 6/5/2022

Is there a clothes recycling bin?

AndyS
7 Apr '22

I’ve got some old clothes that appear to have shrunk (!!). They aren’t good enough to donate to a charity shop — but are there any collection bins for clothes that can be shredded to make material for other stuff? I think there used to be one at the old Co-Op and down at ‘big’ Sainsbury’s.

Thanks in advance!

HannahM
7 Apr '22

There’s one by Sydenham Woods but it is frequently full.

ThorNogson
7 Apr '22

There’s one in Bell Green that often has space. On the corner of Porthcawe Road.

AndyS
7 Apr '22

HA! I was exactly there today, dumping small electronics items in the bin right beside the clothes bin — and never even saw it! Thanks, Thor!

Edd
7 Apr '22

If you put them in a plastic bag labelled ‘rags’, so they don’t have to sort them, the Red Cross shop is happy to take them. I think they sell them in bulk, priced by weight of material.

Fran_487
7 Apr '22

This tool is super helpful for finding your nearest specialist recycling facilities:

https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-locator

AndyS
8 Apr '22

Thanks everyone! All very helpful ideas. :+1:

chamonix
8 Apr '22

Apparently there is one in Forest Hill sainsburys…Can anyone verify this?

AndyS
8 Apr '22

I can verify that there isn’t. I’m there now. But thanks for the suggestion.

(I think there used to be, years ago.)

AndyS
8 Apr '22

Indeed so. I just checked in with them. Thanks for that!

John_Wilson
8 Apr '22

Sainsbury’s requested it to be removed because people were using it too much and Lewisham wasn’t emptying quick enough… doesn’t stop Sainsbury’s still advertising on their website

clausy
8 Apr '22

It basically turned into a fly tipping site. I think it caused more problems than it solved, so they took all the clothing and recycling bins away. It’s still quite ‘popular’ with flytippers although to Lewisham’s credit they deal with it at that location pretty quickly now when reported otherwise it rapidly builds up again.

AndyS
8 Apr '22

Same with the ‘big’ Sainsbury’s site. There’s now a skip in that car park and lots of fly-tipping crap.

John_Wilson
8 Apr '22

I would disagree that it was fly tipping. Mainly it was overuse. There was very little actual rubbish
Lots of people (me included) used it because Lewisham often didn’t provide green recycling collection (or under provided bins)

clausy
8 Apr '22

Well, here’s a thread from after when they removed the recycling bins.

Flytipping is still a perennial problem at that spot. Fortunately now they’re much better at cleaning it up quickly as one box will attract a rapid exponential opportunist dumping on the assumption that it’s some kind of approved location.

I had a look to see if they advertise recycling and they don’t show anything related to clothing anymore. https://stores.sainsburys.co.uk/0404/forest-hill

John_Wilson
8 Apr '22

Except that isn’t where the recycling bins were!

chamonix
8 Apr '22

The recycling bins are used too much… :joy: I look forward to my council tax hike this year. Also shame on Sainsburys, just when I though that store couldn’t get any worse.

ForestHull
9 Apr '22

Sidenote - you can hand small electronics into Currys PC World for free recycling / disposal.

This month is also ‘cash for trash’ month - you can get a £5 discount on new purchases over £25.

From https://www.currys.co.uk/services/delivery-installation/recycling.html

AndyS
9 Apr '22

Thanks for that. Not sure they’d have accepted my collection of old BT routers, co-ax cables, Nokia phone chargers,…

Beige
9 Apr '22

I think they would. I’m planning to take an empty pentium case there soon. You just leave on the floor by the counter on your right hand side as you walk in.

GillB
11 Apr '22

Any H&M will take textiles of any sort for recycling. They have a big ‘cupboard’ by the tills. Also if you download the app (I haven’t bothered) you get a £5 off voucher if you spend £25 or over everytime you take a bag in.

GillB
11 Apr '22

Yes I’ve taken quite a few things in there, very handy,