J&B News & Updates

05.05.20

At J&B Recycling we have seen a significant increase in clothes and other textiles being placed in kerbside recycling bins.

With charity shops and clothes banks closed due to COVID-19 restrictions residents have begun disposing of their old textiles in their mixed recycling.

Old clothes, toys and textiles are not suitable for recycling via mixed recycling bins and if discarded this way garments, which could otherwise be donated or recycled through the correct streams, will end up being disposed of as waste at Energy form Waste facilities or in landfill sites.

Mark Penny, Commercial Manager at J&B Recycling, said: “With more people at home during the lockdown there has been a dramatic rise in wardrobe clearances and bulky items being thrown away in the recycling bins.

“If people can keep hold of their old textiles for a little while they can be given to clothes banks and charity shops to help the less fortunate.”

The Charity Retail Association has also released a statement asking well-meaning donors who are using their time to clear out wardrobes, to store old furniture and bags of clothes at home for a little longer instead of leaving them outside of shops as this can leads to the items ending up in landfill.

This has come at a time when figures from waste dumping reporting app ClearWaste show that overall fly-tipping is up 76 per cent.

Whilst some Household Waste Recycling Centres are closed and others using social distancing measures councils such as Sunderland Council are warning fly tippers that if you employ a non-licensed waste carrier YOU can receive a fine of up to £350.

You can check that a waste carrier is registered on the Environment Agency's website here.