In Konstanz, Germany, the old clothing donation bins operated by the German Red Cross (DRK) and Malteser have been completely removed citywide since the end of January 2026. Previously, residents could drop off used clothing nearby; now they can only take it to the recycling center (Wertstoffhof). The local newspaper suedkurier.de published an article on October 10, 2026, updated on October 13, outlining the options available to residents for disposing of used clothing after the bins were removed.

Key points

  • The DRK and Malteser clothing bins in Konstanz have not been at their original locations since the end of January 2026 and have been removed citywide.
  • The main channel for residents to drop off used clothing is now only the recycling center (Wertstoffhof).
  • The removal of the bins causes inconvenience for residents doing their autumn wardrobe clear-outs, who need to find other ways to dispose of their clothes.

From easy drop-off to only the recycling center
For a long time, Konstanz residents were used to putting sorted old clothes into bags and dropping them into roadside clothing bins on their way. With the DRK and Malteser bins withdrawn from their original locations at the end of January 2026, this convenient practice is no longer possible locally. For residents clearing out their wardrobes in autumn and wanting to free up space, the destination for used clothing needs to be rethought.

What other options are there?
The report lists the disposal channels still available in a Q&A format, the most direct of which is taking used clothing to the Konstanz recycling center (Wertstoffhof). The report is aimed at ordinary residents and provides practical information on local used clothing disposal.

Implications for the industry
In many parts of Europe, municipal and charitable used clothing collection networks are shrinking due to costs, sorting pressures and changes in textile regulations. As community drop-off points decrease, used clothing flows may shift more toward recycling centers, in-store collection events or commercial recycling channels.

(Note: The original article is paid content, so only limited text is visible; the above is based solely on the publicly available portion.)

Source: Die Altkleidercontainer sind weg: Wo entsorge ich jetzt meine alten Klamotten? · Originally published 2026-10-13