Textile Recovery

November 1, 2022

MassDEP has expanded its waste disposal bans by:

• Adding textiles and mattresses to the list of materials banned from disposal or transport for disposal in Massachusetts, and
• Lowering the threshold on commercial organic/food waste to facilities generating more than one-half ton of these materials per week.

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.

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.

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:

• An interactive MassDEP educational program that empowers students and teachers to help the environment through waste reduction, recycling, composting, energy conservation and pollution prevention.
• A unique program that not only raises funds for local schools, but educates the community about the environmental benefits of keeping textiles out of the trash.