NEW textile recycling banks have been installed across the Forest and will provide those in developing countries with unwanted garments.

The banks, which feature at nine of the district's recycling sites, comes in light of a joint agreement between the European Recycling Company (ERC) and the Forest of Dean District Council to boost recycling.

Martin Quaile, portfolio holder for the environment at the Forest of Dean District Council and chair of Gloucestershire's Joint Waste Committee, said: "We are pleased to be working with ERC to further reduce the amount of textiles going needlessly to landfill.

"We thank Forest of Dean residents who have recycled 160 tonnes of textiles – a weight equivalent to a 120 family cars – through using the local banks over the past year but we are keen to push this figure higher.

"With the introduction of the new ERC banks a wider-range of materials can be accepted including: accessories, such as hand bags and belts, curtains, sheets and blankets, towels and even soft toys, as well as clothing and paired shoe. Regardless of how much wear they have had there is no need for any of these items to be binned."

The unwanted garments deposited in the banks will be sent to a state-of-the-art plant in Germany for sorting before going on to developing countries where the items will be sold on to be re-worn. Garments or other textiles unsuitable for the re-wear or reuse market still have value with the fabric and trimmings being recycled instead.

Carpets, cushions, pillows and duvets are not accepted. These items can be taken to the household recycling centres for disposal.