Clothing and Textile Recovery
Bring your clothing and textiles to one of our drop-off bins, a Zero Waste Day event, or schedule an appointment for curbside collection. Keep reading to learn how it works!
In November 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection banned textiles from disposal. In compliance with this policy, the City of Boston does not accept clothing and textiles in curbside trash.
Across Massachusetts, residents and businesses dispose of approximately 230,000 tons of textiles annually. More than 5% of waste delivered to combustion facilities is made up of clothing and textiles. About 85% of the textiles currently being thrown away could be donated, reused, or recovered instead.
To help residents comply with this state policy, the City of Boston offers two options for residents to get rid of their unwanted clothing and textiles:
- drop boxes conveniently located throughout the City, and
- weekend curbside textile collection.
Items that are worn, torn, or stained are still accepted! Items that are soiled, wet, or moldy should be placed in your curbside trash for collection.
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Have questions? Contact 311:
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1 CITY HALL SQUARE, ROOM 714
BOSTON, MA 02201 -
Overflowing drop-off bin?
If you see an overflowing drop-off bin, please email dispatch@cmrkne.com and it will be serviced within 24 hours.
Accepted Clothing and Textiles
Accepted TextilesFor re-wear, reuse, and recovery, we accept the following items in any condition, so long as they are clean, dry, and odorless. Everything should be kept dry in a closed, plastic bag. Getting rid of clothes responsibly shouldn’t be hard, we’re here to help!
Footwear:
- All shoes: heels, flats, dress shoes, sandals, flip flops, cleats, sneakers, boots, slippers
Linens:
- Bedding: pillowcases, blankets, comforters, sheets, quilts
- Curtains/Drapes
- Aprons
- Dish Cloths
- Towels
- Table linens: cloth napkins, tablecloths
Arts & Collectibles:
- Prints (Curbside only)
- Paintings (Curbside only)
- Sports memorabilia (Curbside only)
household items
- DVDs in boxes, maximum 3 per pickup (Curbside only)
- Dishes & Plates (Curbside only)
- Pots & Pans (Curbside only)
- Silverware (Curbside only)
- Coffee makers, Blenders & Rice cookers (Curbside only)
- Textbooks & Books (Curbside only)
- Stuffed animals
Other:
- Most musical instruments (Curbside only)
- Bikes (Curbside only)
Clothing:
- Tops (t-shirt, blouses, shirts, tank tops, sports jerseys)
- Sweaters
- Sweatshirts
- Dresses
- Outerwear (coats, jackets, blazers)
- Bottoms (pants, slacks, jeans, sweatpants, skirts, shorts)
- Suits
- Socks
- Pajamas
- Slips
- Bras
- Underwear
- Baby clothing
Accessories:
- Hats
- Bags (pocketbooks, backpacks, duffle bags, totes)
- Luggage (Curbside only)
- Belts
- Gloves
- Ties
- Scarves
- Bathrobes
- Jewelry
- Wet items
- Moldy items
- Dirty items
- Furniture (such as mattresses)
- Bulky items (such as microwaves)
- Large instruments: Piano, organ
- Magazines
What happens to my clothing and textiles?
Nearly 100% of donated clothing and textiles are recovered! They are separated into 3 grades: usable clothing, wiping cloth grade, and fiber conversion grade.
- About 45% of donated textiles are sold as second hand apparel, either through charitable organizations or for-profit exporters that sell baled clothing to developing countries.
- Another 30% is turned into industrial wiping cloths. ERC Wiping Products (Lynn, MA) cuts used clothing and other textiles into rags and sells them to commercial garages and public works operations.
- The remaining 20% is sent to fiber converters where textiles are broken down into their basic fiber components to be re-manufactured into insulation for cars and homes, carpet padding or soundproofing materials.
Curbside Textile Pickup
Schedule Curbside PickupDrop-off locations
| Neighborhood | Address |
|---|---|
| Brighton |
35 Fidelis Way (Commonwealth Development) 398 Market Street (In parking lot across from Santander Bank) |
| Charlestown | |
| Dorchester |
Mather Elementary, 1 Parish Street 400 Frontage Road, Public Works Central Facility |
| East Boston | 166 London Street |
| Fenway | McKinley Middle School, 50 St. Mary's Street (Out of service as of 6/27/24) |
| Hyde Park |
Bow Street, adjacent to basketball courts |
| Jamaica Plain | |
| Roslindale | |
| Roxbury | Across from 30 Annunciation Road (Alice Taylor Development) |
| West Roxbury |
Bins marked "out of service" will be replaced in early July and the website updated to reflect changes.
Frequently Asked questions
FAQNo, there will be no fines for non-compliance.
If you do see an overflowing bin, email zerowaste@boston.gov and it will be serviced within 24 hours.
First schedule your curbside collection appointment, and make sure to check our accepted items list. Please make sure all of your items are dry, clean, and free of mildew or mold. Place unwanted clothing and textile items in a plastic bag, tie the bag, and label it with “clothing". Place your bag out on your doorstep on your scheduled pickup day.
Visit Boston's Circular Economy Directory to find retailers that accept and sell used clothing.
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Have questions? Contact 311:
-
1 CITY HALL SQUARE, ROOM 714
BOSTON, MA 02201 -
Overflowing drop-off bin?
If you see an overflowing drop-off bin, please email dispatch@cmrkne.com and it will be serviced within 24 hours.
