Clothes Recycling

Curbside collection of clothing ended June 19, 2020

The Town of Wake Forest and Simple Recycling partnered from April 2020 through June 19, 2020. The last collection for Wake Forest residents was June 19, 2020. Simple Recycling is leaving (PDF, 22.72 KB) the Raleigh area due to operational concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the curbside collection program has been suspended, we encourage residents to donate and recycle clothing. 

The average person throws away nearly 70 lbs. of clothing, shoes and accessories each year. By recycling these items, Wake Forest residents can keep them out of the landfill and make them available to others who can use them.

Recycle Your Clothing 

When it comes to reducing waste and recycling, we typically think of paper, plastic, metal and glass. But the same green principles apply to clothing! Consider the following tips when your apparel, footwear and accessories are out of style, worn, stained or just no longer useful.

• Pass clothing along to family or friends. Babies and children often outgrow clothes well before they are worn out.
• Donate clothing. Reputable charities and thrift stores accept and sell donated clothing to help fund their activities and achieve their charitable missions. See a few local charities listed below. Approximately 20 percent of donated clothes are sold at thrift locations. The remaining 80 percent is sold to recyclers.
• Recycle clothing. Some clothing retailers, such as Levi Strauss, Madewell, H&M and The North Face provide in-store receptacles to take back used clothing and may offer incentives to participate.
• Repurpose clothing. This can be as simple as turning an old t-shirt into a cleaning rag.
• Buy recycled. Seek out and purchase clothing and accessories made from recycled materials.