Clothes have value even if they are out of style. What is redundant for one may be useful for another. For the residents of the regions to have a more accessible textile sorting option, in cooperation with Eco Baltia vide, near the top! stores we have currently installed 11 additional containers in Grobiņi, Liepāja, Jelgava, Ozolnieki, Mālpils, Mārupe, Jaunolaine, Ulbroka, Daugavpils and Krauja. In general, 30 textile sorting containers have already been placed at top! stores.
Textiles that end up in the environment or in household waste are as dangerous a source of pollution as packaging and other waste. A large proportion of the population disposes of their redundant clothes in household waste containers which are delivered to landfills, where synthetic fibre textiles, for example, decompose over a period of at least 200 years.
“ As top! stores are being visited by thousands of people every day, it is important for us to offer the opportunity to hand over excess clothing, thus also making a small donation to sustainable textile waste management ” , Ilze Priedīte, store chain top! Member of the Board, comments.
Where does the donated textile end up?
The collected textiles are taken to the sorting centre of Eco Baltia vide partners, where they are sorted according to type, material, quality and other factors. Then they are re-circulated, including recycling, thus preventing them from ending up in a landfill.
Quality clothing, footwear and home textiles are diverted for reuse in developing countries around the world. Also, Eco Baltia vide cooperates with various charitable organisations, where 5.4 tons of textiles have been handed over until 2022. For the rest of the textile products, recycling options are being sought to the fullest. For example, it is possible to produce industrial rags from cotton. Other types of materials can be used as raw material for filling upholstered furniture.
How accessible is textile sorting and where can textiles be disposed of?
- 2019 – 20 containers – 53 tons
- 2020 – 30 containers – 482 tons
- 2021 – 44 containers – 1060 tons
- 2022 – 138 containers – 1586 tons
- 2023 – more than 170 containers
Eco Baltia vide together with Latvijas Zaļais punkts and other partners continues to work on the creation of a textile sorting system in the regions of Latvia. At present, more than 170 textile sorting containers installed by Eco Baltia vide are available to residents throughout Latvia. The locations of the containers are available on the interactive waste sorting site map of Latvijas Zaļais punkts.
What can be disposed of to the containers?
We call you to sort all kinds of clothing, because the containers are not for new goods only. You can put shoes and home textiles with a minor defect, a small stain or a pin hole, there. The main condition is that they have not been in contact with strong chemicals, such as motor oils, household chemicals, etc. Also, you should not dispose of wet and mouldy clothes in the container, as well as fabric scraps, which can easily damage other stuff. Clothes should be placed in the textile sorting container packed in a tightly tied bag.
What to do with textiles that cannot be disposed of in the containers?
Fabric scraps or clothing with holes or other damage can also be used for other purposes, such as altering, re-sewing, making something new. Waste textiles such as damaged blankets or sheets can be used in animal shelters. Textiles that have been in contact with strong chemicals, such as motor oils and other substances, as well as damp and mouldy clothing, should be disposed of in the unsorted household waste container.
