How To Recycle A Duvet

Do you have an old duvet or pillows, or for that matter matress protectors or matress toppers that you need to get rid of? There are lots of ways that you can do that in an environmentally friendly way rather than just putting it into the dustbin.

Let's face it, a duvet or a couple of pillows will nearly fill up your wheelie bin, and you won't have room for anything else!

Donate Your Old Duvet or Pillows

If any of your items are new or very lightly used you could give it to friends or family, sell it, offer it on a site such as Freecycle or Shpock.

Most charity shops will not now accept duvets which have been used. In fact some will not even take an unused duvet still in it's packaging, mainly due to the problem of finding space to store or display it.

It is always best to check with a charity shop if they can accept it before taking a duvet for donation.

A local animal shelter, animal rescue charity or shelter for the homeless may also be grateful for donations of clean duvets or indeed any unwanted bedding such as blankets.

As always, please check that any charity actually wants duvets before donating, otherwise they then have the problem of disposing of the item instead of you, and it will still go to landfill.

Dunelm Takeback Scheme

If you have a branch of Dunelm near to you they are currently operating a Textile Take Back Scheme. They ask you to bag you old Duvet, Pillows or Matress Protectors and drop them instore in a special collection area.

All items will be sent for reuse or recycling. Note this is not available in all branches.

Can Your Duvet or Pillows Be Reused?

Old duvets and make great bedding for pets, who don't mind if a duvet is a bit shabby (My previous cat loves using an old duvet or pillow to sleep on!)

If you don't have a pet of your own, ask around your animal loving friends and see if they could use it.

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If you are the creative type, the filling could be used for stuffing cushions, floor cushions, and draft excluders.

They could of course also be used for toys, but I hope it would go without saying that if the toy is to be used by a young child the filling needs to be washable and should be clean before use.

I have never tried this but I have heard said that the duck and goose feathers from a feather duvet can be composted. I do however suggest that you don't empty out your old duvet into your compost bin on a windy day!

Other Options for Disposing Of Your Duvet

If your old duvet is not in very good condition there are options for disposing of it in a more environmentally friendly way.

Many local council's kerbside collections will accept textiles for recycling. You need to check what is allowed where you are. For example, in my area there is a maximum of two bags per fortnight which will be collected.

Here is where you can find details of your local council's recycling facilities

Your local recycling centre will probably have a textile bin as well. If not, unfortunately it will have to be disposed of with your household waste.