It’s time to take your spring cleaning to the linen cupboard and Give A Sheet for the Planet as part of recycling initiatives in Tamworth and Armidale.
There is an estimated 15kg of unwanted linen in houses, on average, across the country. Councils have partnered with BlockTexx to give residents the chance to shed the kilos and declutter their sheets and towels in an eco-friendly way.
On September 21, in both Tamworth and Armidale, the respective councils will be running pop-up events to accept towels, face washers, hand towels, beach towels, bed sheets, doona/quilt covers, pillowcases, cotton blankets, tea towels, cotton napkins and tablecloths.
“Having the event on September 21 means we are giving people time to spring clean and gather up their linen,” said Tamworth Regional Council Waste Sustainability Officer Angela Dodson.
“There is a real issue with unwanted textiles across the country, and by having the pop-up event, we are controlling the volume of items we get and can sort through them on the day.”
This will avoid inundation issues of the Queensland recovery factory that will convert the linen into high-grade recycled materials.
Residents can expect their donated items to return to them in numerous ways including as soil additives in agriculture, new textile products, building and construction materials and even sunglasses.
Not all items need end up being sent away for recycling, though.
“We don’t want to take good product away from charities, so people should check with their charities and if it’s something they won’t accept, it can come through this process, and we have partnered with a few local veterinarians as well,” said Ms Dodson.
“They use towels and sometimes sheets as well, so we have partnered with some of those who will take some of the material we collect as well.”
This is the first time these collection events have been run and ensures that the textiles are not sent to landfill, burned, or exported overseas and, instead, goes to a state-of-the-art facility in Queensland to be recycled.
Community members wishing to donate will be able to drive through and unload their items on the day and are asked to ensure items are clean before donating.
“Our Give a Sheet events are a fun and engaging way to bring the community together and contribute to a local recycling solution,” said BlockTexx Design and Marketing Manager Tonia Bastyan.
“A win for the environment, council, and community.”
The Tamworth recycling collection will be on Saturday, September 21, from 9 AM to 3 PM, at the North Companions Football Club Carpark at 41 Marius Street, Tamworth.
Armidale residents can donate their clean, unwanted linen at the Armidale Waster Transfer Station, also on September 21 between 9am and 3pm.
Find out more on Give a Sheet’s website
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