Textile recycling in Minnesota: the resident's guide

The Minnesota textile waste problem

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's 2018 statewide waste characterization study found that textiles represent roughly four to five percent of landfilled municipal solid waste — equivalent to about 370,000 tons per year. Three downstream impacts make that a problem:

1. Landfill methane from organic fibers. Cotton, wool, linen, and other natural fibers decompose anaerobically in landfills, generating methane — a greenhouse gas roughly 25 times more potent than CO2 over a 100-year horizon.
2. Synthetic-fiber microplastics. Polyester, nylon, and other synthetics do not decompose. They fragment into microplastics that persist in soil and leachate for decades.
3. Embedded-carbon waste. A T-shirt took roughly 2,700 liters of water and a kilogram of CO2 to produce. Landfilling it throws away every joule of that embedded cost. Resale captures most of it; recycling captures some.

Wearable vs. worn-out: how to sort

A simple test: if I'd give it to a friend in a pinch, it is wearable. If it has a stain that would not come out, a tear you would not mend, a stretched neck, a permanent odor, or worn-through elbows or knees, it is worn-out. Both have channels.

Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Bridging.org each operate an internal grading system. Wearable items go to the store floor. Items that fail the grade are sold by the pound to textile recyclers who shred them into shoddy (insulation fiber), industrial wipers, or export them to overseas resale markets. The chains do route worn-out textiles to recycling, but their margin on wearable is much higher — so the social-pressure read of "I'll just donate it and let them sort it" leaves money on the table for the chain and slows the resale floor. Pre-sorting at home is the right answer.

Wearable: donation channels in Minnesota

• Goodwill Industries Minnesota — the densest store network in the state. Drop-off bins at every store accept clothing, shoes, accessories, linens, and household textiles. Tax receipt on request.
• Salvation Army Family Stores — Northern Division covers Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Drop-off bins or scheduled pickup for larger donations.
• Bridging.org — accepts new and unopened linens (sheets, towels, blankets) for families exiting homelessness. Used clothing is generally directed to Goodwill or Salvation Army; Bridging's mission is fully-furnished households, not used apparel.
• ARC's Value Village — the Arc Greater Twin Cities resale stores. Accepts most clothing and household textiles; proceeds support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Faith-based and community closets — many Minnesota churches and community centers run small free-clothing closets for neighbors in need. Local search ("free clothing closet near me") usually surfaces one within a few miles.

Worn-out: recycling channels in Minnesota

Worn-out textiles have more outlets than most residents know about. The Twin Cities options are especially strong since Ridwell launched in 2024:

• Ridwell — subscription pickup service that launched in the Twin Cities in 2024. Bi-weekly pickup of the "hard to recycle" categories that curbside MRFs do not take: textiles, batteries, plastic film, light bulbs, and Styrofoam. Roughly $14-18 per month depending on plan. The fastest path for a household that generates worn-out textiles regularly.
• Simple Recycling — operates curbside textile pickup in select Minnesota cities (changes year to year — check the city's solid-waste page). Free curbside pickup using a Simple Recycling bag on regular pickup day. Routes the material to resale, recycling, or export depending on grade.
• H&M Garment Collecting — every H&M store accepts any brand of textile in any condition. The customer-facing benefit is a small store coupon per bag; the recycling benefit is real (H&M's recycler grades the bag and routes to resale, fiber recycling, or downcycling).
• Madewell denim recycling — bring any brand of worn denim to a Madewell store; get $20 off a new pair of Madewell jeans. The denim becomes insulation (donated to the Blue Jeans Go Green program, which sends it to Habitat housing builds).
• Levi's in-store collection — most Levi's stores keep a free collection box at the entrance. Accepts any clothing and shoes; no purchase required, no coupon issued.
• The North Face Clothes the Loop — in-store collection for any brand of used clothing and shoes; $10 store coupon per drop-off. Less convenient than H&M but a real channel.

Specialty streams

• Military uniforms and gear → Soldiers' Angels. Accepts clean, intact uniforms; redistributes to active-duty and veteran families. Twin Cities VA chaplains also accept uniform donations.
• Baby clothes → Bundle of Joy (Bridging partner) for layettes and newborn-essential bundles. Also: Once Upon a Child stores resale, with cash on the spot for accepted pieces.
• Shoes → see the dedicated shoes disposal item page. Soles4Souls and Nike Reuse-A-Shoe are the major recycling channels for worn-out athletic shoes; donation goes through the same chains as clothing.
• Wedding dresses → Brides Across America. Donates to military and first-responder brides. Also: Adorned in Grace, a Minnesota-based ministry running bridal-resale stores.
• Bras → Free the Girls. Mail-in program that supplies bras to women starting microbusinesses after rescue from human trafficking.
• Formalwear → Operation Prom and similar local programs that lend prom dresses and tuxedos to high-school students who could not otherwise afford them.

What never to put in textile recycling

• Wet or mildewed items. Mold spreads through a recycler's intake bin and contaminates the whole batch.
• Oil-soaked rags. Spontaneous-combustion risk in the truck or warehouse. These are HHW (oil) plus regular trash for the rag.
• Biohazard-exposed textiles (blood, vomit, body fluid). Sealed-bag trash; do not contaminate the donation stream.
• Asbestos-exposed fabrics (insulation work, old vinyl-asbestos floor tile work). Treat as construction waste under a licensed contractor.
• Wet diapers, used incontinence pads, or other absorbent hygiene products. Regular trash, never recycling.

DIY: cutting up worn cottons for rags

The lowest-impact path for a worn-out cotton T-shirt is to cut it into shop rags and keep using it in your own household. Two rules:

• Cotton only — synthetic blends melt, smear, and leave fibers on whatever you wipe. Pure cotton tees, flannels, and old bedsheets are the right material.
• Cut into hand-sized squares. Tear-edge is fine; no hemming needed. Store in a small bin under the sink and a larger bag in the garage.

Once the rag is too dirty to wash, oil-soaked, or contaminated with paint, the rag itself becomes trash (or HHW if it carries solvent or oil). The T-shirt has now done two lifetimes of work instead of one.

Frequently asked

Related guides and item pages

• Clothes disposal →
• Textile recycling →
• Shoes disposal →
• Downsizing — donation vs. recycling →
• Furniture donation pickup →
• Check anything by ZIP →