Carlow County Council is encouraging residents to give unwanted clothing, paired shoes, and household textiles a “second life” through responsibly managed donations, as part of a national campaign aimed at reducing the 110,000 tonnes of textiles discarded annually in Ireland - the equivalent of about 440 million T-shirts.
Supporting our community of Carlow to reduce unnecessary textile waste, Carlow County Council supports a wide range of circular clothing actions, including its free‑to‑borrow Clothing Swap Kit, pop‑up clothing swaps, repair activities and workshops that helps people mend garments and keep them in use for longer. These actions collectively highlight the Council’s strong commitment to promoting reuse, repair and circular fashion and textile use across Carlow.
As confusion continues over suitable items for clothing banks and charity shops, Carlow County Council is reminding the public of what can and cannot be donated.
Both clothing banks and charity shops accept clean, dry, reusable textiles including coats, jackets, jumpers, jeans, tops, dresses, skirts, baby clothes, sportswear, uniforms, bras and paired shoes or boots. Household textiles such as bedlinen, sheets, towels, blankets, throws, table linen and curtains are also accepted. Items that are torn, heavily soiled or unusable should go in the general waste bin, and pillows or duvets cannot be donated for hygiene reasons.
When using clothing banks, residents are asked to fold or roll items and place them in small bags that fit through clothing bank openings. Bags must always be placed inside the bank. Leaving bags beside banks is considered illegal dumping and may result in fines. Donated textiles from clothing banks are carefully sorted to maximise their potential for reuse. Items in good condition are directed to charity shops for resale, while textiles that cannot be sold locally but are still usable, are passed on to approved textile operators, who prepare them for reuse in Ireland or export them abroad, where they may be resold, repurposed, or upcycled.
Charities greatly appreciate donations, but many have raised concerns about the difficulties caused when damaged or unusable items are left at collection points. In addition, donations left outside charity shops when they are closed often become wet, soiled, or otherwise unusable, even if they were originally in good condition. These items cannot be resold or reused and must be disposed of, meaning charities themselves incur waste‑disposal costs. This reduces the vital income they rely on to fund essential community services. Every bag of non‑reusable or weather‑damaged textiles placed into the donation stream costs charities money rather than raising it, ultimately limiting the support they can provide locally. By ensuring that items are genuinely reusable - and only donating during opening hours - we can help charities continue their important work while keeping valuable textiles in circulation.
A new national Textiles Reuse & Recycling Map on mywaste.ie lists more than 1,500 donation points across the country, including several locations in Carlow, which will be updated regularly. The map allows residents to view opening hours, accepted items, and directions, helping ensure that textiles are donated correctly and to the right place. If a donation bank is full, residents are encouraged to use the map to find an alternative nearby location, contact the phone number displayed on the bank, or report the problem directly through the online “Report an Issue” function. This system supports responsible textile disposal, helps keep donation sites tidy and functional, and ensures that high‑quality items remain in good condition for reuse - maximising the environmental and social benefits of textile donation.
By donating clean, undamaged items, residents support charities, reduce waste and help build a more circular and sustainable local economy.
Further guidance on textile donation and the new map is available at mywaste.ie, and details of upcoming repair workshops and events can be found at circular.ie/events or keep an eye on Carlow County Council's social media or news page for local events.
More info:
There are 28 bring bank facilities located in County Carlow. If there are any issues with the facilities in the areas, contact environment@carlowcoco.ie or call 059 913 6231
https://carlow.ie/environment/recycling/bring-centres
Civic Amenity Sites | Carlow Co Co