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In November 2022, Massachusetts banned textiles from disposal. Textiles include clothing, footwear, bedding, curtains, fabric, and similar items that are clean and dry. Even if your textiles are worn, torn, or stained, they can still be donated to a textile recycler. Visit Beyond the Bin to find a textile collection bin, donation option or recycler near you.
November 1, 2022
MassDEP has expanded its waste disposal bans by:
For waste disposal ban purposes, textiles are defined as bedding, clothing, curtains, fabric, footwear, towels, and similar items. See a complete list here from Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART).
Virtually any textile can be reused, repurposed, or recycled if clean and dry. Even worn, torn, and stained items have recovery value.
Certain contaminated textiles are exempt from the disposal ban. For definitions, see the regulations.
October 2021
MassDEP issued its final 2030 Solid Waste Master Plan, establishing goals to reduce disposal statewide by 30 percent (from 5.7 million tons in 2018 to 4 million tons in 2030) over the next decade. It set a long-term goal of achieving a 90 percent reduction in disposal to 570,000 tons by 2050.
See Additional Resources below to learn more.
Across Massachusetts:
The infographic below illustrates what a waste this truly represents.
Infographic courtesy of Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART)®
See Additional Resources below to learn more.
Do you have clothing, shoes, or other textiles that you no longer wear or use, but still have plenty of life left in them? Don't throw them away!
Donate them to an organization that will find new owners or uses for these items. Search the MassDEP-supported Beyond the Bin Recycling Directory by type of material and your location. It will display a list of nearby locations where you can drop off unwanted clothing, shoes, and other textiles for donation to organizations that will resell, reuse, recycle, or repurpose them.
Bring or mail unwanted clothing and shoes to manufacturers or retailers. Many companies and stores accept these items for recycling - in most cases, even items and brands they don't make or sell.
| Clothing | Footwear |
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The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) maintains this list for consumer convenience. Inclusion on this list does not constitute or imply MassDEP endorsement of a company or its take-back program. This information was last updated in September 2022.
See Additional Resources below to learn about:
Effective November 1, 2022: Textiles are banned from disposal or transport for disposal in Massachusetts.
The MassDEP Mattress & Textile Waste Ban Communications Toolkit provides a library of images, materials, strategies, and tips you can use to get the word out about this change to the residents of your community.
For waste disposal ban purposes, textiles are defined as bedding, clothing, curtains, fabric, footwear, towels, and similar items. Virtually any textile can be reused, repurposed, or recycled if clean and dry. Even worn, torn, and stained items have recovery value.
Certain contaminated textiles are exempt from the disposal ban. For definitions, see the regulations.
Learn about your city or town's responsibilities for complying with the new provisions and companies that provide textile collection services in Additional Resources below.
While it is better for residents to donate clothing, shoes, and other textiles for reuse and resale rather than throw them away, towns and cities are encountering a couple of common problems with unattended donation containers:
Learn how some Massachusetts communities are addressing these issues through the adoption of local by-laws and regulations. See examples in Additional Resources below.
