Hurunui District Council’s community clothing bins at Hawarden and Amuri libraries are boasting attractive new bin housings – made from waste clothes.

The new housings, made by ImpacTex, demonstrate the possibilities that can be achieved by diverting waste from landfill, said Council’s Waste Minimisation Team leader Sally Cracknell.

ImpacTex shreds and compresses end-of-life textile waste back into its yarn state to create a range of products, including signage and panels. “The eco-friendly principles made them a natural solution for the clothing bin housings,” said Cracknell.

“It’s great for us as a council to know that the new bin housings are helping to divert clothing waste from landfill and have been made without the use of single-use materials.”

ImpacTex Managing Director Jeff Vollebregt said approximately 70kg of waste clothing is upcycled to make 10 standard 2400X1200 textile panels.

“Our panels are a Kiwi innovation made 100% from old textiles, garments and uniforms that otherwise would have likely ended up rotting in landfill.”

Vollebregt said councils around the country are starting to replace their corflute information signs with the new textile signs. “That’s not only great for our environment but it’s also supporting a uniquely Kiwi innovation.”

The new recycled housings are ideal for areas in Hurunui that lack access to clothing bins. Cracknell said the bins will initially be based at the Amuri and Hawarden community libraries to support the rural community to dispose of their waste clothing. 

Once the Amuri and Hawarden bins are full, they are collected and brought to the Amberley transfer station from where all the district’s waste clothing is picked up for re-use.

Cracknell said seven tonnes of clothing was recycled via the Amberley transfer station in the last financial year.  “When using the library drop offs or the Amberley transfer station recycling bins, the community are asked to donate unwanted clean clothing in good condition and to place items in secured bags.”

© Scoop Media