In Mühlacker, Baden-Württemberg, the local branch of the German Red Cross (DRK) removed the old clothing donation bank at the parking lot on Gothestrasse in the city center two and a half weeks ago, because the site had been repeatedly used for illegal dumping of household waste and bulky refuse. The move could become a "template" for tackling similar problems citywide.

According to the Mühlacker municipal administration, similar problems exist at other hotspots besides Gothestrasse, including Berliner Ring, Hermann-Hesse-Strasse in Heidenwäldle (near the hospital), Hartfelder Strasse, and the festival hall in the Enzberg district, where trash often piles up around old clothing collection points, harming the townscape and environmental hygiene. The municipal administration is considering taking the same measure and removing the donation banks at these locations to curb littering.

The municipal administration said not all old clothing collection points will be closed, but priority will be given to areas with concentrated complaints and poor results. Previously, residents complained to municipal authorities that the donation banks were often surrounded by dirty clothes, odds and ends, and even broken furniture, placing a heavy cleaning burden on the neighborhood.

It is reported that the decision by the DRK local branch has now received a response from the municipal administration. The public is paying attention to the "clothing collection model after the cleanup," but because both sides have already described it in some detail, other information, such as alternative recruitment models, has not been published in the free public part provided to the news, so no details are available yet.

Source: Ohne Altkleider-Container weniger Müll? · Originally published on 2026-09-01