This comes as the Salvation Army warns it will lose thousands if donations continue to be left outside its shops and textile banks, as such contributions will be classed as fly-tipping and landfilled.
Residents in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, are urged instead to put the unwanted clothing out for kerbside collection with their recycling bags and boxes. Textiles placed at the kerbside must be in clear bags so crews can identify them, according to the council.
Colin Dales, the corporate director of operational services at Richmondshire council, said: “We understand people are using this prolonged period of time at home to clear out cupboards and wardrobes, but we urge them to either hang on to unwanted textiles until the current restrictions pass or place them out with kerbside recycling.”
With a population of more than 53,000, the Conservative-controlled district of Richmondshire had a recycling rate of 39.2% for the 2018/19 financial year.
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army has also asked people to stop leaving donations outside its shops and next to clothing banks.
The charity says lockdown restrictions mean they cannot be collected and will instead be sent to landfill.
Losing these donations to landfill will cost the charity thousands as well as being an environmental disaster, the Salvation Army said.
“Please could you hold on to your generous donations a bit longer”
Tony Hosking, director of clothing collection division for the Salvation Army Trading Company, said: “The lockdown has already seen a dramatic rise in wardrobe clearances and furniture donations with well-meaning donors thinking they are helping us by dropping them outside clothes banks and shops; but please could you hold on to your generous donations a bit longer for us.
“Please help us so the environment doesn’t lose out. Dropping off bags at clothing banks or charity shops is not listed as one of the journeys which can be made under lockdown.
“Please help beat coronavirus, stay home and keep your donations at home until we reopen.”
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