Dear Recycling Bins: School Uniforms

Dear Recycling Bins: Our Weekly Recycling Advice Column

Welcome to our weekly advice column where we look at all things recycling and give you the answers you’re desperately seeking.

Dear Recycling Bins,

I know it’s still the school holidays for many of us, but as a mum, I’m already thinking about the expense of buying new uniforms. Kids grow so fast!

But it’s not only that, what on earth do I do with the old ones once they’ve grown out of them? I know I’m not supposed to put them in the bin because they end up in landfill.

Any ideas are welcome!

Yours Sincerely,

Stressed Out Mum

Dear Stressed Out Mum,

We feel your pain. You spend a fortune kitting out your kids from head to toe in brand-spanking new uniform, and in no time at all, it’s a new school year and you’re dipping into your pocket again because they’ve outgrown everything.

You’re right about not putting old uniforms in the bin. It’s a waste of precious resources and if clothes are sitting in landfill, it’s pretty bad for the planet.

So what can you do with old and unwanted items of school uniform?

If the uniforms have a school badge on, ask if the school has any kind of donation/take-back scheme where parents can buy pre-loved items at cheaper prices.

If the items of uniform are pretty generic, you can;

Give the items to friends or family-do you have any little cousins or family friends with kids the same age?

Try selling them on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or at car boot/jumble sales.

Donate them to charity. Take them to a local charity shop or put your unwanted items in one of those charity plastic bags that come through your door every so often. Instead of ending up in landfill, your kids’ uniforms will help someone in need.

Recycle them. Take old items of uniform (especially items that are no longer fit to be worn) to textile banks where they can be recycled and made into new items like padding for car seats and blankets.

So no matter what condition the uniforms are in, there’s no need for them to end up in the bin!

Yours Sincerely,

Recycling Bins