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Clothing and Textile Recycling

Recycle your textiles at one of our drop-off locations, a hazardous waste day event, or right from your home. Learn more about our services and schedule your curbside textile pickup below. 

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About seven percent of items thrown away as trash are textiles, including clothing, linens, shoes, and more. You can keep clothing and textiles out of the trash and even give them a new life by recycling or donating them. 

Accepted Clothing and Textiles

Accepted Textiles
Contact: Public Works

Footwear (in pairs): 

  • Shoes 

  • Heels (wedges, pumps) 

  • Flats 

  • Sandals 

  • Flip Flops 

  • Boots (work boots, dress boots, winter boots) 

  • Sneakers 

  • Cleats 

  • Slippers 

Clothing: 

  • Tops (T-shirts, blouses, shirts, tank tops) 

  • Sweaters 

  • Sweatshirts 

  • Dresses 

  • Outerwear (coats, jackets, blazers) 

  • Bottoms (pants, slacks, jeans, sweatpants, skirts, shorts) 

  • Suits 

  • Socks 

  • Pajamas 

  • Slips 

  • Bras 

  • Underwear 

Accessories: 

  • Hats 

  • Bags (pocketbooks, backpacks, duffle bags, totes) 

  • Belts 

  • Gloves 

  • Ties 

  • Scarves 

  • Bathrobes 

Linens: 

  • Sheets 

  • Blankets 

  • Towels 

  • Curtains/Drapes 

  • Aprons 

  • Dish cloths 

  • Cloth napkins 

  • Table linens 

  • Comforters 

  • Throw rugs 

  • Placemats 

Other: 

  • Halloween costumes 

  • Sports jerseys 

  • Pet clothing 

  • Canvas

Wet items

Moldy items

Dirty items

Furniture

Bulky items

Curbside Textile Recycling Collection

Curbside Collection
Recycling your textiles just got a lot easier!
Schedule Curbside Collection

Schedule an appointment and our partners at Helpsy will come to your house to pick-up unwanted clothing and textiles for free...

Drop-off locations

Neighborhood Address
Brighton 2-4 Fidelis Way
Brighton 35 Fidelis Way (Commonwealth Development)
Brighton 398 Market Street
Charlestown 50 Monument Street, adjacent to basketball courts
(At intersection of O’Reilly Way and Monument Street)
Charlestown 162 Medford Street
Charlestown Warren Prescott K-8, 50 West School Street
Dorchester Mather Elementary, 1 Parish Street
Dorchester 191 Adams Street (Fields Corner)
Dorchester 400 Frontage Road, Public Works Central Facility
Dorchester 575 Washington Street (Codman Square)
Dorchester 20 Georgia Street (Grove Hall)
Dorchester Boston International Newcomers Academy, 100 Maxwell Street
Dorchester Franklin Park (22 Circuit Dr. Upper Lot)
Dorchester PA Shaw Elementary, 429 Norfolk Street
Downtown / Chinatown Josiah Quincy Elementary, 885 Washington Street
East Boston 166 London Street
Fenway McKinley Middle School, 50 St. Mary's Street
Hyde Park Bow Street, adjacent to basketball courts
Hyde Park 420 West St. (George Wright Golf Course)
Hyde Park 37 Winthrop Street (access off Hyde Park Avenue)
Jamaica Plain 125 South Street
Mission Hill / Jamaica Plain James Hennigan School, 200 Heath Street
Roslindale 10 Taft Hill Terrace
Roslindale 128 Brookway Road
Roxbury Across from 30 Annunciation Road (Alice Taylor Development)
Roxbury 2730 Washington Street (Shelburne Community Center)
South Boston 1187 Columbia Rd. (Moakley Park)
South End Blackstone Elementary, 380 Shawmut Avenue
West Roxbury 315 Gardner Street (Millennium Park)
West Roxbury 39-41 Corey Street

This drop-off program is made possible thanks to our partner, HELPSY.

Upcoming events

Events
Household hazardous waste, paper shredding, textiles, and electronics drop-off
On May 21

May 21
Household hazardous waste, paper shredding, textiles, and electronics drop-off
On Jun 18

Jun 18
Household hazardous waste, paper shredding, textiles, and electronics drop-off
On Aug 13

Aug 13
Household hazardous waste, paper shredding, textiles, and electronics drop-off
On Sep 24

Sep 24
Household hazardous waste, paper shredding, textiles, and electronics drop-off
On Nov 19

Nov 19
View all events

Common questions

Common questions

After you drop-off your textiles, they are examined by hand. About 50 percent of items are resold. Another 25 percent are cut into wiping rags for use in many different industries. THe least useful, 25 percent will be ground into insulation and reused. 

We’ve tripled service since first placing drop boxes throughout the city. If you do see an overflowing bin, email info@helpsy.co and it will be serviced within 24 hours. 

Clothing collected curbside and put in drop-boxes are picked up by our partner Helpsy. Helpsy recycles the clothing and textiles. If you want to donate your clothes, reach out to local Boston non-profit organizations that accept donations. 

Our goal is to continue to expand the program over time. We are now collecting textile waste curbside. Scroll to the top of this page to schedule your curbside collection appointment.

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