Clothes recycling banks near me

Clothes recycling banks near me. It is time for a clear out. What’s the easiest way to get rid of your stuff? Well, obviously the easiest thing is to throw it in the bin. But the second easiest, nearly as easy, is to throw it into a clothes recycling bank. In fact, as I write this, my dustbin and my nearest recycling bank are literally equidistant, so if I’m going to have to put my shoes on I may as well put them in the latter.

Maybe even easier are the places that collect textiles. They will provide you with big plastic bags and you fill them up and put them right outside your front door for collection. If you fancy a stroll, find a thrift store that is accepting donations.You can donate clothing to the Salvation Army using drop boxes as well. This will help to ameliorate the million tons of textile waste the UK suffers. H&M and American Eagle Outfitters have recycling bins for clothes recycling too. Tons of textile can be reclaimed through textile recycling.

Why recycle? So you feel better about yourself. I found out recently that we’re half way through winter and spring, edging a bit closer to spring now. But it’s still dark outside, and if it’s not dark it’s greyish. It’s cold and it’s rainy. So anything you can do to lighten up your life is a bonus. I’m not talking gathering all your possessions and making a big bonfire in the back garden. That would be one solution but not a good one. Though you’d be a bit warmer. But no, because bonfires cause pollution. Just try and be a bit more moderate.

Clothes recycling banks near me – St Brigid’s Day

A first crocus. Image Genevieve Jones

St Brigid’s Day is celebrated on the 1st of February until sunset on the 2nd of February. It’s also known as Imbolc and it marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It’s an ancient Celtic tradition. In the British Isles, we have many traditions and festivals to help us through the dark days of winter, and this is one of them. In my family, we have been trading photos of flowers since January, as soon as we see them popping their heads up through what seems like acres of mud in public parks or our sad-looking gardens, covered in leaves and, for those of us in less enclosed settings, rubbish that has blown in from the street. 

Clothes recycling banks near me – Spring Flowers

The first flowers to come in England are the snowdrops, often photographed surrounded by snow. Then usually it is crocuses, then daffodils and narcissi, then tulips. These cross over and intermingle. During those dark, muddy days of winter, I planted over 100 bulbs – closer to 150, I think. Currently I have two very thin narcissi looking like spring onions, and the noses of some tulips are finally appearing.

I saw a crocus for one day, a tiny white one. The next day it was half a crocus, and the day after that, no crocus. I peeled off the slug when I saw it, but it was not the only one. Nevertheless I was happy to see it, the first plant I have grown myself in the garden of the house I moved into over a year ago. I was also intrigued to see that it was actually grey and white – I’m sure I didn’t choose anything so sophisticated as a monochrome crocus but it’s not impossible. It might be that all the others come up next year (see how confident I am in my expectations?) with purple bases, and that’s what it’s trying to be.

Clothes recycling banks near me – St Brigid and your Spring Cleaning Traditions

Brigid, Bride, Bríd, Brighid and many other variations of spelling is a wonderful Celtic goddess, who has three aspects – the Maiden, Mother and Crone. She represents the seasons, and Imbolc is when she transitions from the winter, the wise but harsh old lady, who rests, into the Maiden, who is a fresh start. This is a fire goddess who thaws the frozen soil to bring new life. She brings light and energy – two things essential for your spring cleaning!

Saint Brigid is also one of the patron saints of Ireland. She was an actual 5th century nun, a real person who founded the first nunnery in Ireland. Her feast day is the same day, the 1st Feb, and she is also the patron saint of babies and midwives, cattle and dairy farmers, computers and blacksmiths. This is an obvious conflation of the Saint with the Goddess, who also handles birth, dairying, and blacksmiths, because she is in charge of both new life and fire. Imbolc or Oimelc literally means ‘in the belly’. It references the future expectation of new life and thus milk, as you cannot have milk without the cow first giving birth.

 And What Should I do About That?

Although this time of year can be really unpredictable, with sun one moment and frost the next day, you can spend more time outdoors and spot the first buds of spring yourself. Just take lots of layers and maybe an umbrella! You can also start on your spring cleaning. You might want to change your wardrobe over too – from heavy winter coats to something a bit lighter. Clothes recycling banks near me are helpful to get rid of winter coats which are not quite right. It’s very good to just get rid of them quickly, before you change your mind. If you use a recycling bank, you can take them out one at a time.

Big supermarkets often have clothing recycling banks, sometimes even inside so you know your donations will be kept warm and dry and not go musty. Maybe aim to shed a certain number of items of clothing, like 5 to start off with. The charity will really appreciate your good thoughts.

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