Suggestions for schools on the reuse/recycling of textiles from schools.
Good quality, clean clothes and sometimes other types of textiles can be taken to your local charity shop for reuse. Please check with your local charity shop as to which textiles they can accept. Charity shops need a frequent supply of good quality materials for resale. Poorer quality items are often sold on to rag merchants.
Sorry, but charity shops and textile banks can not accept pillows or duvets. These should be put into your general waste bin/the general waste skips at one of the 12 Household Waste Recovery Centres.
Textiles are not accepted in the kerbside recycling bins provided by Northumberland County Council.
Useful links:
Some schools arrange to do clothing collections directly for charitable organisations such as the Great North Air Ambulance Service or the British Heart Foundation. Please check with the individual charities that you would like to support, to find out their requirements and to see if they could provide collection bags for your school.
Link to textile companies who collect from schools:
Most charity shops and textile banks collect shoes.
Textile collection charities and companies usually
collect shoes too. Please tie shoes together with shoe
laces or buckles where possible.
Please see further information under the category of
clothing and textiles above.
Here are 2 organisations that collect spectacles to use again:
Many opticians also have collection points for old spectacles. Please check with your local opticians.
or read more in this attached document- school uniform swap
