Maidstone Borough Council in Kent, UK, is working with sustainable materials company Recool on a trial that uses patching material made from recycled textile waste to fill potholes.

The trial sites are on council-owned land and do not involve public roads. Two potholes were patched at Mote Park and three at Penenden Heath, five in total. The material used is an experimental low-carbon product: recycled textile waste fills most of the pothole volume, with a dedicated surfacing layer applied on top. Because public roads are maintained by Kent County Council, the pilot did not touch those stretches.

Rachel Rodwell, cabinet member for climate transition and nature recovery, said the move is intended to turn the impact of fast fashion into an opportunity and to explore a practical solution that reduces waste and carbon emissions while supporting a circular economy.

According to the charity WRAP, the UK generates about 1.45 million tonnes of used textiles each year, nearly half of which goes into general waste rather than being reused or recycled.

The council says it will monitor the patches over the coming months to assess their performance under the intensity of daily park use and different weather conditions.

For the used-clothing recycling industry, the trial offers a new reference point for textile waste flowing into building materials: when export channels and recycled-fibre markets come under pressure, converting used textiles into municipal infrastructure material could become a supplementary path for diverting waste.

Source: Recycled clothes used to tackle potholes · Originally published 2026-09-24