Residents in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, can now recycle old clothes and shoes from their doorsteps as a new district-wide collection service is now fully operational as of January 2026. The service aims to cut down on waste sent to landfill by making it easier for people to get rid of unwanted fabrics without having to visit a recycling bank or charity shop.
The Tendring District Council is running the project alongside a specialist company called Essex Textiles, a registered and licensed textiles broker. To take part, locals should use the council-provided blue textile recycling bags and place them next to their red recycling box on the first red week after receiving the leaflet — by 7am on their scheduled recycling collection day.
As outlined in the service rules, the collection accepts clothes, shoes, handbags, belts, bedding and towels, provided items are dry; soiled, wet and unusable items are not accepted. Residents should be aware that the textile bags are collected by Essex Textiles’ vehicles, so collections may occur at a different time to the council’s regular recycling rounds.
This move is the first step in a series of recycling changes designed to help the area meet new environmental rules coming later this year. By making it simpler to recycle bulky fabric items at home, the council expects to reduce the amount of fabric waste that currently ends up in black wheelie bins.
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