Stratford-on-Avon District Council and Warwick District Council are advising residents that the kerbside textiles recycling service will be temporarily suspended from 1 April 2026.

The Salvation Army, the Councils' current textiles offtaker, has confirmed that challenging market conditions, rising operational costs and wider geopolitical instability affecting its recycling operations have led to this decision. With the removal of The Salvation Army clothing banks from the waste depots in both districts, the Councils are unable to continue offering the current kerbside textiles recycling service in its existing form.

During this suspension period, residents are encouraged to make use of the many local alternatives available for donating, reusing, or repairing textiles. These include:

• Charity shops across Stratford-on-Avon District and Warwick District, many of which continue to accept good-quality clothing, shoes, and household textiles.
• Local donation points operated by charitable organisations, which remain open and available for residents wishing to pass on items for reuse.

Residents looking to extend the life of clothing and fabric items can also make use of the growing network of Repair Cafés across Stratford-on-Avon District and Warwick District - Visit a Repair Café Near You, where volunteers help mend garments and other household items.

Items that cannot be reused, donated, or repaired must not be placed in household recycling bins. Textiles cannot be processed at the Sherbourne Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and placing them in recycling bins can contaminate loads.

Cllr Lorraine Grocott, Portfolio Holder for Environmental and Neighbourhood Services at Stratford-on-Avon District Council, said: "Stratford-on-Avon District Council and Warwick District Council will continue to work together on long-term solutions and will provide updates on their respective websites and social media channels as soon as a revised service plan is confirmed."

Cllr Will Roberts, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood at Warwick District Council added: "Whilst we want to encourage all our residents to recycle as many household items as possible, we would like to ask them to follow these temporary guidelines for the disposal of textiles, while we seek a practical and sustainable alternative."

Details of items that can be recycled as part of the fortnightly kerbside collection service can be found on the Warwick District and Stratford-on-Avon District Council websites.