Give your textiles a new life

Published on 27 July 2023

Pre-loved clothing, too worn or soiled to rehome, can now be recycled thanks to free textile disposal units at the Benalla Landfill and Resource Recovery Centre.

Benalla Rural City Council is offering the free textile recycling service in partnership with Upcycle4Better.

Mayor Cr Bernie Hearn said residents can now take clothes and other acceptable items free of charge to the Resource Recovery Centre to deposit in the new textile recycle bins. As these textiles are unable to be recycled as part of standard ‘yellow bin’ kerbside collection they would previously end up in landfill.

‘Reducing what would otherwise end up in landfill is one of the best things we can do to help protect our environment,’ Cr Hearn said.

‘As a Council we want to do everything we can to make it as easy as possible to reduce landfill waste.

‘We are so pleased to take this step and offer our residents the opportunity to recycle their unwanted clothing and textiles that can’t otherwise be donated to charity at no additional cost.

‘Generally, our residents do a fantastic job at recycling as part of the regular kerbside collection. I have no doubt our community will take up this program and support any opportunity to create a more sustainable future for our Rural City.’

Acceptable textiles include items of clothing, shoes, underwear, swimwear, hats, belts, handbags, backpacks, bed linen, towels and soft toys.

Residents are asked to please ensure clothing and textile items are dry when placed in the disposal units. Any items that are wet or damp cannot be accepted.

On average, each Australian buys over 27 kilograms of new clothing and textiles every year, with the majority of unwanted clothing going to landfill. With the introduction of the sustainable textile recycling program, these previously unrecyclable items can be diverted from ending up in landfill and instead recovered and repurposed for future use.

For more details, and to learn about the landfill, waste and recycling in Benalla Rural City, please visit www.benalla.vic.gov.au