Sort by condition, not by hope
A stained work shirt with holes is not a donation. A clean towel with a frayed edge might still be useful to an animal shelter or a rag program. Call the organization and ask what they actually want. Many thrift stores reject wet, moldy, or hazardous-soiled textiles, and dumping those bags at their door forces them to pay for trash. If a textile recycler in your area accepts worn-out clothes, use that outlet for items that are clean but not wearable. Shoes, belts, and bags are often a separate yes or no. Ask.
What should not go in a textile bag
Oily shop rags, pesticide-soaked clothes, and solvent-wet fabric are hazardous waste, not clothing donation. Bag them as the HHW program directs. Do not mix them with jeans and sheets. Carpet and upholstery foam are not a bag of clothes either. Those are bulky or construction items. Keep them out of the textile stream. If you are cleaning out a closet, empty pockets. Batteries, lighters, and sharps hidden in a donation bag injure workers.
Trash is the honest last stop
If no donation or textile program will take the material, ask the disposal site whether textiles go in household trash. Some sites want them bagged so they do not wrap around equipment. Do not toss loose clothes on a yard-waste pile. Fabric does not compost in a municipal brush program. At the bay, throw bags where household waste belongs. If the attendant says a particular bin is for reusable textiles, use it only for the clean items they described.
Before you go
- Separate clean wearable items from worn-out but clean textiles and from contaminated rags.
- Call the donation or textile program and follow its condition rules.
- Take oily or chemical-soaked fabric to household hazardous waste.
- Bag true trash textiles and unload them with household waste.
Dropping moldy bags of clothes after hours at a thrift store.
Questions people ask
Do sheets and towels count as clothing recycling?
Some textile programs want linens and some do not. Ask. A yes for shirts is not automatically a yes for wet bathroom rugs.
Can I use old clothes as moving padding?
Yes, if they are clean and you still need padding. When the move is over, sort them again instead of throwing the whole box in the trash by habit.
Search Dumpmapper by ZIP code or city, then call the site before you load the truck. Hours and accepted materials change.