New kerbside textiles recycling service launches in Oxford

The new service will offer to pick up textiles for recycling from homes, including flats, across the city.  

The service is provided in partnership with Recycling Solutions, a family-run recycling company that collaborates with charities and local authorities across the UK. In Oxford, Recycling Solutions supports Thames Valley Air Ambulance through its operations by raising funds for it through the sale of second-hand clothing.  

Reducing waste and supporting communities 

Textiles account for approximately 3% of household waste, with more than a million tonnes ending up in landfill each year. This service enables domestic residents to recycle a wide range of textiles, ensuring they are reused or repurposed sustainably while supporting the environment and providing affordable clothing worldwide. 

How the service works 

Residents can arrange a kerbside collection of unwanted textiles from Recycling Solutions, who will provide instructions on when and where to leave items for collection. Weekly collections will be organised based on residents' locations in Oxford. For more information and to book a collection from 31 January, visit the Recycling Textiles page. 

Suitable items include: 

• clothing and shoes 

• sheets, linen, curtains 

• duvets, pillows, cushions, blankets, towels 

• handbags 

• Wellington boots 

• sleeping bags, soft bags 

Items not accepted include: 

• upholstered furniture, beanbags 

• rugs, and mats 

Please ensure all items are clean and dry before collection. 

Comment  

“This is another significant step forward in our efforts to further improve Oxford’s already-impressive recycling figures. Since we had to close down the bring banks on street corners due to fly tipping at many of them, there has been a gap in our recycling offer. With nowhere to recycle textiles, contamination levels have gone up in our blue bins, which is something we want to avoid. Now we can fill that recycling gap, and not only that, your recycling efforts will also help keep the Thames Valey Air Ambulance aloft – it's a win-win situation all round.” 
Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies 

Alternative recycling options 

For those who prefer not to use the kerbside service, a new 24/7 textiles recycling bank will soon be available at Rosehill Community Centre. Textiles can also be taken to Redbridge Household Waste Recycling Centre. Residents can also donate usable items to charity shops, share them with friends or family, sell them in second-hand marketplaces, or repurpose them creatively at home. 

This is a completely free service for Oxford residents and there is no minimum amount that you can put out of textiles for collection. Residents in flats won’t be left out as collections can be organised for them too. 

The journey of recycled textiles 

Recycling Solutions ensures that most collected clothing is reused or recycled ethically. High-quality items are sold to second-hand traders, primarily in Ukraine, while ‘end-of-life’ garments are repurposed into industrial materials, insulation, and new fibres. The company follows a zero-waste approach, with proceeds supporting Thames Valley Air Ambulance.