Clothes and linens (towels, bedding, rags) that are ripped and/or stained, or pieces of textiles that can be turned into rags or shredded for recycling.
Consider repair, stain removal and creative reuse before donation to an organization for reuse or recycling (rag and textile shredding).
Click here to learn more about clothing repair, stain removal for clothing and linens (DIY & non-toxic cleaners), and donation/recycling programs. Many cleaners have alteration services that include zipper repair for fabrics, while shoe repair businesses also provide zipper repair for purses, backpacks, and luggage.
| Vendor | Address | City | Destination | Disposal Method | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zkano Sock Recycling Program |
Emi-G Knitting (ATTN: Zkano Recycles Program) 1715 Airport Rd |
Ft Payne | Recycle | Free Mail-in | Old socks only, regardless of what brand they are or what materials they are made of. Mail socks to listed address. User pays for shipping. Sock manufacturer who collects clean ripped, torn, stained socks to be recycled with their textile waste into fiber for carpet padding in the automotive industry. | |
| Salvation Army Donation Dropbox (Safe Storage) | 2783 East 12th St. | Oakland | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Clean ripped, stained, worn fabric/clothing is resold on the textile market, for the rags market or carpet padding/seat stuffing. | |
| Salvation Army (Oakland) | 601 Webster St. | Oakland | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Clean ripped, stained, worn fabric/clothing is resold on the textile market, for the rags market or carpet padding/seat stuffing. | |
| Retold Recycling |
12855 Runway Rd Suite 2209 |
Los Angeles | Recycle | Mail-in for a Fee | Accepts clean ripped, stained, worn fabric/clothing is resold on the textile market, for the rags market or carpet padding/seat stuffing. | |
| Smartwool Sock Recycling: Drop-off & Mail-in | Recycle | Free Drop-off, Free Mail-in, Mail-in for a Fee | Socks only! Clean, ripped, old, torn socks only, please. All brands, colors, sizes, and materials welcome (we’re not picky). No rolled or paired socks, bags, rubber bands, paper clips (just single socks). | |||
| Salvation Army Store | 1806 Linda Dr. | Pleasant Hill | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Bag clean ripped, stained, worn fabric/clothing. Resold on the textile market for the rags market, carpet padding/seat stuffing and recycling. | |
| Trashie: Take Back Textile Bags | Recycle | Mail-in for a Fee | Offer mail-in Take Bag Bags for purchase to offset sorting and recycling costs with recycling partners. Items are sorted for reuse and recycling - to be made into new fibers or shredded for shoddy. | |||
| ReFleece Market | 1 Ace St | Fall River | Recycle | Free Mail-in | Outer wear. Upcycled products & used gear marketplace for outer wear for women, men, kids, & pets. Donate poor condition outer wear for upcycling through their partners, or sell good condition outerwear on their site. Brands include Patagonia, REI, Title Nine and more, as well as ReWorked fleece outer wear. | |
| Goodwill (Fremont) |
Fremont Hub Shopping Center 4025 Mowry Ave |
Fremont | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Accepts clean ripped, stained, worn fabric/clothing is resold on the textile market, for the rags market or carpet padding/seat stuffing. | |
| Salvation Army Donation Dropbox (Oakland - 2794 Garden St.) | 2794 Garden St. | Oakland | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Accepts clean ripped, stained, worn fabric/clothing is resold on the textile market, for the rags market or carpet padding/seat stuffing. | |
| United Textile |
1025 98th Ave Bldg A |
Oakland | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Commercial quantity and entities. | |
| Phoenix Fibers | 400 E. Ray Road | Chandler | Recycle | Mail-in for a Fee | Commercial quantity (clean & dry textiles). Textile fiber converter from cotton, denim, post industrial, post consumer, poly/cotton blends, and other cotton materials. Receive bales from clothing graders/sorters, prison systems, laundries, and retail chains. Products created include: shoddy, automotive insulation, radiant heat barrier, acoustical sound dampening products, denim insulation, and fiber for prison mattresses and the floor padding and pillow fill industries. | |
| Blue Jeans Go Green | 400 East Ray Road | Chandler | Recycle | Free Drop-off, Free Mail-in | Denim. Must be at least 90% cotton, no hangers, stickers, tags or plastic attached. | |
| Material Return | 647 Hopewell Road | Morganton | Recycle | Mail-in for a Fee | Commercial quantity from organizations and businesses for paid textile diversion. | |
| Goodwill (Oakland - MacArthur) | 3525 MacArthur Blvd | Oakland | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Accepts clean ripped, stained, worn fabric/clothing is resold on the textile market, for the rags market or carpet padding/seat stuffing. | |
| Goodwill (Berkeley) | 2058 University Ave | Berkeley | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Accepts clean ripped, stained, worn fabric/clothing is resold on the textile market, for the rags market or carpet padding/seat stuffing. | |
| Goodwill (Livermore) |
1374 Railroad Ave (Livermore Arcade Shopping Center) |
Livermore | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Accepts clean ripped, stained, worn fabric/clothing is resold on the textile market, for the rags market or carpet padding/seat stuffing. | |
| Salvation Army Donation Dropbox (2650 Durant Ave.) | 2650 Durant Ave. | Berkeley | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Accepts clean ripped, stained, worn fabric/clothing is resold on the textile market, for the rags market or carpet padding/seat stuffing. | |
| H&M (150 Powell St.) - Collection Box | 150 Powell St. | San Francisco | Recycle | Free Drop-off | Up to 2 shopping bags of clothes and accessories per day. Accepts any brand. Collection bin by cash register. Receive 15% off 1 item for each bag brought in. | |
| Ambercycle | 2611 W. Exposition Blvd | Los Angeles | Recycle | Mail-in for a Fee | Ship bulk quantity textiles for recycling. Manufacturers can acquire finished recycled fibers and yarns. |
| Bulky Pickup | Special Action | Note | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda | ||||
| Albany | ||||
| Berkeley | ||||
| Castro Valley Sanitary District |
Collect clean and dry materials in a large plastic bag to keep it clean during collection for recycling for Bulky Pick-up and Textile Pick-ups, which are held 2x/yr (first full wk of June/Oct). set bags or boxes of dry (no biowaste) textiles by blue cart. ### |
Clean and dry. See Textile Collection Program details.Collect clean and dry materials in a large plastic bag to keep it clean during collection for reuse or recycling twice a year (first full wk of June/Oct). Set bags or boxes of dry (no biowaste) textiles by blue cart. ### |
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| Dublin | ||||
| Emeryville | ||||
| Fremont |
Place clean, dry items in clear bags for donation. Donate clean, dry items to large thrifts for rag market or recycling into carpet padding, automotive stuffing, or the like. ### |
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| Hayward | ||||
| Hayward (Oro Loma - L2) | ||||
| Livermore |
During the first week of every January, April, July, October, gently used household textiles (sheets, towels, etc.) and clothing will be collected and donated to a local charity. Items should be clean and placed in a tightly tied clear bag next to the recyclables cart on your collection day. Receipts not provided. ### |
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| Newark | ||||
| Oakland | ||||
| Piedmont | ||||
| Pleasanton | ||||
| San Leandro | ||||
| San Leandro (Oro Loma - L3) | ||||
| San Lorenzo (Oro Loma) | ||||
| Unincorporated Oro Loma (L1) | ||||
| Union City |
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