Understand where and how to dispose of clothing and textiles.
Recycle your old textiles
Recycle your old textiles for free at drop off points located at Eaglehawk Recycle Shop and the Strathfieldsaye, Heathcote and Goornong transfer stations.
Commercial quantities of textiles are not accepted.
Look for the bins to drop off your:
- Clean clothing such as pants, skirts, jackets etc
- Linen items such as sheets, pillow-cases blankets, towels, cushions and pillows, doonas
- Pairs of shoes
- Fabric and yarn off-cuts
Textiles not accepted include:
- Swim wear and underwear
- Backpacks
- Mattresses and mattress protectors
- Curtains with hooks and eyelets
- Re-useable shopping bags
Processing textiles - what happens next
Items collected at our transfer stations will be:
- Transported to Melbourne
- Sorted - suitable or not suitable for reuse
- Shredded mechanically for recycling
- Spun into yarn
- Remade into recycled products
Recycled products include tote bags, cushions, gloves, socks, rugs, throws, blankets, felts, underlay, insulation and furniture filler.
Garments deemed useable and too good for shredding will be sent for a second life.
Next steps for Greater Bendigo’s circular economy
As well as keeping textiles out of landfill, we are working with partner Textile Recyclers Australia to explore the potential for a local textile recycling solution.
Why we collect and reuse textiles
The textile industry is the second largest polluting sector in the world. Research and innovation work is underway to offer channels for textile waste to become a resource.
By recycling textiles, the sector can reduce the amount of water and energy used in producing virgin products. The use of recycled fibres is the key to change.