Clothes and textiles

Last checked: 18.10.2026

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Wear for longer, swap, repair, hand in properly: what you can do with clothes in Berlin – and the rules for used textiles since 2025.

According to the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), in Germany we buy around 18 kilograms of clothing per person per year – the global average is 8 kilograms [1]. The water used to make these clothes is almost entirely consumed abroad [2]. And in the end, around 31,500 tonnes of used textiles end up in Berlin's residual waste every year, 8.6 kilograms per person (as of 2018) [3]. In between there is a lot of room for manoeuvre: wear for longer, swap, repair, pass on properly.

Wear for longer

The most effective rule is the simplest one: wear clothes for as long as possible. The German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt) advises paying attention to quality when buying – for instance the thickness of the fabric and how sturdy seams, buttons and zips are – and having favourite pieces repaired or altered [1]. Wash as often as necessary but as little as possible; that keeps textiles going for longer [1]. Synthetic fibres such as polyester or elastane also shed microplastics in the wash [1].

Going through your wardrobe once a year frees up space and prevents bad buys, the German Environment Agency advises [1].

Second-hand, swapped, borrowed

Second-hand shops, flea markets and clothes swaps are good for the environment because fewer clothes have to be newly made [1]. For a one-off occasion you can borrow or rent formal wear instead of buying it [1]. The Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR), Berlin's public waste collection and street cleaning company, also runs the second-hand department store NochMall, where you can hand in items in good condition too, and a free online swap and give-away market [5]. The area “Make things last” shows which second-hand shops and swap spots we have checked; you will also find repair services for clothes below.

Passing on properly – mandatory since 2025

Since 1 January 2025, the public waste management authorities responsible for waste from private households have had to collect textile waste separately [6]; in Berlin, the BSR offers several ways to hand it in [4]. According to the BSR, this means for you: old textiles no longer belong in the residual waste but in the used-clothing collection – unless they are worn out, contaminated or heavily soiled, in which case they still go in the grey bin [3]. Besides clothing and shoes, used textiles also include bed linen, curtains and other household textiles [3].

How to hand them in properly: clean, dry and preferably washed, with shoes tied together in pairs [3][4]. All 14 BSR recycling centres (Recyclinghöfe) have used-clothing containers where you can hand in wearable, clean and dry textiles and shoes free of charge [4]. Bags and belts generally do not belong in the used-clothing collection – but you can donate them or sell them second-hand [3]. The charity Berliner Stadtmission accepts sleeping bags and sleeping mats in good condition for people in need [3].

Recognising reputable collections

Not every container at the roadside is authorised. According to the BSR, reputable collectors give full contact details and can be reached with questions; containers without verifiable contact details on grass verges, car parks or vacant plots are often set up without permission [3]. You can also give clothes in good condition directly to organisations that pursue charitable purposes [1]; you will find clothing banks and donation points in Berlin on hauptstadt.net as well (see below).

Places and events

Buy clothes second-handMake things last · 7 places

Hand in clothesMake things last · 11 places

Get clothes repairedRepair · 8 places

There are no events for this in the calendar in the coming month. All upcoming events of this kind

GuidePassing on things in good condition