Clothing, Shoes and Textiles

Don’t place your clothing, shoes or textiles in the trash! Rather, recycle them and keep them out of the landfill. You can donate items to a charity of your choice, use the Simple Recycling curbside textile recycling service or take items to a Kane County recycling event or drop-off location.


Simple Recycling

Clothing and textiles are 100% recyclable, but 85% still ends up in landfills. Simple Recycling makes it SIMPLE to recycle these materials through its innovative home collection recycling program.

This service collects many categories of items that aren’t recyclable through your regular curbside recycling program, including:

  • Men's clothing
  • Jewelry
  • Toys
  • Drapes/curtains
  • Small appliances
  • Hairdryers
  • Coffee makers
  • Glasses
  • Women's clothing
  • Shoes
  • PIctures
  • Pillows
  • Irons
  • Tools
  • Silverware
  • Backpacks
  • Children's clothing
  • Purses
  • Mirrors
  • Sleeping bags
  • Radios
  • Toasters
  • Dishes
  • Coats and jackets
  • Hats
  • Blankets
  • Small furniture
  • Lamps
  • Microwaves
  • Pots/pans

*Items Simple Recycling CANNOT collect: Appliances, furniture, tires, paint, carpeting, mattresses, traditional recyclables (metal, glass, paper), Household Hazardous Waste.

Schedule a pickup at simplereycling.com or by calling 866-835-5068. You will receive a confirmation email for the scheduled collection. Then simply fill up a container (bags or box) with acceptable items, clearly mark it for Simple Recycling and place it by your front door/porch/garage door for pickup by 7:30 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. If your collection is missed, notify Simple Recycling online or over the phone at 866-835-5068.

*Note: As of May 26, 2022, you no longer need orange bags and the service is no longer curbside. Schedule a pickup instead and use any container.


Kane County Drop-Off Options

Clothing and textiles can now be brought to all Kane County electronic recycling events or the electronics recycling drop-off locations.

Drop-Off Locations:

  • Batavia  |  Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.  |  517 E. Fabyan Parkway, Batavia, IL 60510
  • West Dundee Public Works  |  Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-3 p.m.  |  900 Angle Tarn, West Dundee, IL 60118

Accepts: clean clothing, paired shoes, bedding, towels, and other household textiles in any condition (clean please); toys, accessories, and purses. Items not able to be reused are turned into cleaning/painting rags, insulation, packing material or carpeting.

Partners: Kane County’s electronics recycler, eWorks has partnered with RewearAble to collect clothing and textiles for reuse and recycling. Both organizations are non-profits that provides sustainable employment for adults with disabilities.

Contact: Jennifer Jarland, Kane County Recycling Coordinator, at recycle@countyofkane.org or 630-208-3841.