Give a Sheet for the Planet
91妻友 residents are invited to drop off their worn-out bedroom, bathroom and kitchen linen at our first ever textile recycling event this November!
We've partnered with Blocktexx, an Australian recycler that has pioneered innovative technology to separate cotton and polyester from textiles such as bed sheets and bath towels. The recovered fibres can then be remanufactured into products such as hydromulch, new textiles, and building and construction materials.
The entire process is undertaken within Australia, creating jobs and social benefits for Australians.
Residents can use the FREE service to keep their linen waste out of landfill, helping to build a circular textile economy.
Date: Saturday 16 November 2024
Time: 9am to 3.30pm
Location: Newcastle TAFE Student Car Park, 266 Maitland Road (opposite Henry Street), Tighes Hill
- BATHROOM: face washers, hand towels, bath towels/sheets, bath mats without a backing, beach towels
- BED: bed sheets (flat and fitted), quilt and doona covers, pillowcases, bedspreads, blankets
- KITCHEN: tea towels, fabric napkins, tablecloths.
Accepted fibres
All items must be 100% cotton, 100% polyester or 100% cotton/polyester blends.
Cotton and/or polyester blends containing bamboo, flax, linen, viscose, rayon, Tencel or modal will also be accepted, providing there are no other fibre types included in the blend.
Please wash your items after use
Linens may be torn, damaged or marked (such as a paint dropsheet), however, they must be clean. Our team will sort your items at the time of drop-off; any unclean linen will be returned to you.
Types of items not accepted include:
- Clothing and footwear
- Pillows, doonas/quilts and mattresses
- Mattress protectors and other waterproof fabrics
- Wool blankets and silk pillowcases
- Bathmats with a rubber backing
- Sand-proof/polyamide beach towels
- Microfibre or any kind of dish or cleaning wipes/cloths (such as 'Chux' cloths).
As a general guide, this means no stretchy, waterproof or silky fabrics, and no items with "fluffy fillings".
All linen will be sorted by our team during drop off; any unclean items will be returned to you.
The collected linens will then be 'decommissioned' by hand, which involves manually removing any non-recyclable components such as buttons, zips and tags. This work is undertaken by staff employed in Australian social enterprises, including people with disability and those experiencing homelessness or disadvantage.
Please be mindful of the people undertaking this work when donating your pre-loved linen.
When you arrive, our traffic managers will direct your car to a sorting bay. Our team will help remove unwanted linen from your car, boot or trailer. You are welcome to stay inside your vehicle and let us take care of this.
Please help minimise waste by not presenting items in plastic shopping or garbage bags. Where possible, please transport your linen in a container (such as a laundry basket, plastic tub or cardboard box) or a heavy duty bag that we can quickly empty (such as reusable shopping or storage bags). As we need to work quickly, please don't tie bag handles. We will tip your linen on to our sorting tables and return the containers/bags to you.
The entire process is managed by Blocktexx, an Australian recycler that pioneered technology to convert the polyester and cellulose from textiles into high-grade raw materials. The recovered fibres can then be reused in other industries such as building, agriculture and manufacturing.
Blocktexx work directly with social impact partners, HELP Enterprises, Bedford SA, The Big Issue Women's Workforce and Queensland Corrective Services, to have the collected linen sorted and non-recyclable items (such as buttons, zips and tags) removed by hand. These partnerships support skills development, long term employment and life choices for people with disability and women experiencing homelessness and disadvantage.
We encourage residents to donate household linens in good, clean condition to local charities or op shops. When considering donating an item, a good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if you would pass it on to a relative or friend. If it's good enough quality to give to a friend, it's typically good enough to donate.
Local animal shelters and pet rescue groups are often appreciative of towels, sheets or blankets to use as pet bedding. It's recommended to contact these groups prior to donating items to check their current needs. If they have recently received high levels of donations, they may not have the storage capacity to accept more.
If you represent a local organisation seeking donations, we may be able to put some items aside for you, providing you can collect them during the event. Please enquire by emailing waste@ncc.nsw.gov.au or calling 4974 2000.
You can follow us on Facebook, or periodically visit our waste news and events page for updates.
