Big change! Polish Red Cross announces the withdrawal of most used clothing containers. New regulations, problems with selection and abuse make the old way of helping and recycling textiles disappear from Polish streets.
Why is PCK removing containers?
New rules that entered into force January 2025, force local governments to selectively collect textiles. This means that old clothes can no longer go to mixed waste – they should go to specialised places such as separate collection points or special containers. However, the latter are just beginning to drop dramatically.
What was in the containers?
Instead of giving clothes "second life", PCK containers were More and more often treated as ordinary dumpsters. Not only used textiles, but also municipal waste, old furniture, cardboard, a nawet martwe animals. Koszty utylizacji tych śmieci spadały na PCK, zabierając fundusze, które powinny trafiać na pomoc społeczną, wsparcie seniorów czy świetlice dla children.
New rules for giving clothes
What to do with clothes after changing?
From 2025 clothing, shoes or home textiles should hit:
- to separate collection points for municipal waste (PSZOK),
- to specialised points led by the municipalities,
- to the rest of the containers that still remain (mainly those served by charitable organisations).
| Where to return the old clothes? | Recommended site |
|---|---|
| Good condition, re-use | Charities stores, PCK container* |
| Used or destroyed | PHOTO Point |
| Textile toys | PCK container*, PHOTO |
| Shoes (pairs, clean) | PCK container*, PHOTO |
*If the container is open and appropriately marked
What's next?
The Polish Red Cross calls for the use of other containers reasonably – only clean, reusable items will be used for charity purposes.
