Clothing and textiles

Clothing and other textiles have a major impact on the environment and climate. Today's textile production requires resources of raw materials, water, chemicals and energy and it causes emissions to air, land and water.

The most sustainable garment is one that you care for, repair and use for a long time. Regardless of the material it is made of.

Extend the lifespan

• Choose second hand – the clothes already exist and do not cause new emissions.
• Choose clothes of better quality that last longer.
• Find a good shoemaker and a good tailor. By repairing clothes and replacing the soles and heels of shoes, you extend their lifespan.
• Find bargains in your wardrobe. Use what you have. Find new combinations or spruce up old garments.

Shop consciously

• Think before you shop – do you need a new garment?
• Choose clothes that you will use many times.
• Choose eco-labelled clothing.
• Avoid chemicals. Antibacterial or dirt-repellent clothing may contain substances that are harmful to both the environment and your health.
• Do not choose training clothes and shoes with the label antibacterial, bactericidal or anti-odour. They contain environmentally hazardous substances.
• Check that impregnation sprays for clothes and shoes are fluorine-free, which is better for both you and the environment.

Avoid chemicals

• Antibacterial or dirt-repellent clothing may contain substances that are harmful to the environment and to health.
• Ask for fluorine-free leisure clothes, shoes and even impregnation sprays, there are now several environmentally friendly alternatives on the market.
• Avoid exercise clothes and shoes that are treated with antibacterial substances to prevent bad odors. These substances are often harmful to the environment.
• Wash new clothes and other textiles before they are used so that chemical residues from production are washed out.
• When buying a new sofa, curtains, carpets and other textiles, avoid highly fluorinated substances that make them dirt- and water-repellent. They may also be treated with flame retardants.
• Avoid furniture and cushions with foam rubber from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Flame retardants were used then, which are now banned.

Dispose of correctly

Do not let your old sheets, sweaters or sweatpants end up in the garbage, sort them instead. If you want to get rid of your textiles, first consider whether you can sell or donate them.

From 1 January 2025, it is not allowed to throw clothes and other textiles in the garbage bag. The purpose of this is to see textile waste as a resource and contribute to increased reuse and recycling.

Textiles that are intact, torn and worn, but not dirty or wet, can be handed in to the city's recycling centres, recycling, Pop-up recycling and Returrundan. Leave the textiles in a closed bag.

More information can be found at Stockholm Vatten och Avfall.

Sorting textiles and clothing, Stockholm Water and Waste website

Examples of textiles you can leave:

• All types of clothing
• Home textiles, such as curtains, sheets, tablecloths, pillows and blankets
• Accessories such as handbags, hats or scarves
• All types of shoes (put shoes that belong together in the same bag)

What happens next?

Submitted textiles are sorted by hand at a facility. The textiles that can be used are taken care of by procured recycling operators and are sold on or donated via aid efforts.

Textiles that cannot be used are sorted out and recycled, for example as insulation or padding in car seats.