6. Recycling textiles and shoes

In 2024/25 we collected about 317 tonnes of textiles and shoes from the recycling bring banks across the borough.

Items are reused wherever possible, with about 85% of our material being sorted and sent for reuse. The remaining materials are recycled into things like fibres, rags, car parts or insulation.

Our textiles are managed by JMP Wilcox, where our materials are processed in a state the art sorting and grading facility in the midlands, before being baled and sold into the market place.

About 10% of the material is sold into the UK market, about 20% into mostly eastern Europe, and about 70% is sold into Africa, Middle East, North America and South East Asia markets.