Council considers reducing clothes recycling banks in Tipperary due to market drop

Tipperary County Council is considering reducing the clothes collection banks it has around the county due to a downturn in the international market for second hand clothing, councillors were informed last week.

The Council’s Director of Environment & Climate Action Eamon Lonergan informed the February meeting of the authority’s councillors there are more than 80 textile recycling banks in the county and the Council is considering “rationalising” their number due to the international market situation unless a regional or national solution was found.

He warned of financial implications costing hundreds of thousands of euros if the Council didn’t respond to the situation.

Mr Lonergan explained to The Nationalist that Tipperary County Council and other local authorities previously generated income from payments they received from approved clothing collectors.

But that business model has flipped and councils now incur a cost for this clothes collection service that is paid to approved collectors by the local authorities.

“This consequently results in financial implications for Tipperary County Council’s expenditure and income budgets going forward, unless a national solution is found,” he said.

Mr Lonergan commented on the issue at the Council meeting in Clonmel in response to Sinn Féin Cllr David Dunne who asked if clothing banks were going to be removed in view of the international market.

He complained of seeing clothing banks overflowing with clothes and supported their removal if they were of no value as they would only draw dirt and dumping.

Cllr Dunne voiced his general disapproval of these banks due to the rubbish they already attract. “If I had my way, I would ban recycling banks,” he declared.

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