Call for more Laois recycling clothes banks meets with concerns
'They end up in landfill' Portlaoise Municipal District Cllr Tommy Mulligan
A Portlaoise councillor is asking Laois County Council to install recyclable clothing banks around the county, to save old and damaged clothes going into landfill.
However his council colleagues have pointed out problems with the idea, including litter concerns.
Cllr Tommy Mulligan tabled a motion to the January 2025 council meeting explaining that the banks would be for clothes not good enough to be donated to charity shops.
He wants Laois County Council to support and help with the installation of the banks throughout the county, with clear signage provided to explain the difference between a clothes Bank and a recyclable clothes bank.
"I've been looking around the county, I can't seem to locate them. Clothes often end up in charity shops or to be sold in aid of the third world. If they are ripped or damaged, they can end up in landfill.
"They could be recycled or shredded up, to be repurposed into rags or stuffing.
"I've been contacted by numerous people around the county. If we do install them it's important to have clear signage," he said.
Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley said that such banks had to be removed due to abuse in the past.
"We should try and provide them but this needs careful consideration. Through the years we had clothing banks all over that had to be removed. People were putting their rubbish into them and when the bins were full they left bags beside them.
"One at SuperValu on the Abbeyleix Road is overloaded. I'd safely say they are ready to remove it completely. We get stickers through the door from people to get rid of them. We have to manage it really properly, otherwise we create a problem. It's like the doggy bag dispensers, people put their waste into them," she said.
Cllr Paschal McEvoy raised another point against such banks.
"I am involved with the Vincent de Paul in Stradbally. They sort clothes into two types, and what is not for resale, they get paid for. A van comes and collects them and they go to be recycled. Donors can tell them that the clothes they are giving are only fit for recycling. The problem is that that information is not out there. People think that the clothes have to be in good order.
"It is a bit disheartening to see bags on the ground, wet, when they should have brought them to the Vincent de Paul," he said.
Cllr Mulligan said "that's a fair point".
In reply to his motion, Laois County Council's Environment Section said it will review Cllr Mulligans proposal and provide a report on the feasibility of its implementation.
The Charities Regulator advises the public to check the Register of Charities at www.charitiesregulator.ie before donating clothing to sticker collectors or clothes banks, to ensure they are a registered charity if claimed.