Since April 1, 2013, Higashihiroshima City in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, has operated drop-off collection of used fabrics and clothing at its city hall, branch offices, local offices, and some community centers. The measure has two aims: reducing the volume of local "combustible waste" and sending reusable textiles to Southeast Asia and elsewhere for reuse.

The collected clothing is not processed free of charge. The city sells the used fabrics and garments it gathers to a company specializing in resource recycling, and the proceeds go into municipal revenue. This company sorts the materials: some of the wearable used clothing is exported to Southeast Asia and North Africa, while the rest is processed into industrial cotton cloth, namely wiping rags. The city also notes that because the recycling company's transaction prices fluctuate, the types of items accepted may be adjusted accordingly at any time.

From the resident's side, the bar for dropping items off is not low. Accepted items are limited to clothing, underwear, towels, socks, and the like, and they must already be washed clean, with no stains or odors; when dropping them off, they must be tied with string or placed in plastic bags—paper bags are not accepted—and then put into the collection boxes at designated locations.

The categories that cannot be recycled are quite detailed. Fabrics that still retain dirt or odors after washing are rejected, such as clothing stained with oil or food residue or smelling of air freshener or perfume; clothing embroidered or printed with a company or organization name is likewise not accepted, such as styles with a company or group name on the chest or back (brand names and brand logos are not subject to this restriction). In addition, cotton-padded garments and down products with thermal insulation (such as down jackets, winter coats, jackets, and gloves) and damp, moldy clothing are outside the scope of collection.

Officials have also listed a longer exclusion list, covering bath mats, cushions, belts, diving suits and swimsuits, toilet seat covers, curtains, foot covers and leggings, hats, leather bags and slippers, pot holders, cooler and thermal sleeves, carpets, stuffed dolls, pillows, kimonos, ties, masks, leather shoes and boots, Japanese short coats, earmuffs, throw pillows, fur, blankets, heater quilts, bedding, raincoats, fabric scraps, and pet supplies. Pillows and quilts require the cotton or feathers inside to be removed first.

Collection boxes are located throughout the city. City hall, branch offices, and local offices are open on weekdays (Monday to Friday, excluding holidays and the year-end and New Year period) from 8:30 to 17:15; other collection points set up in facilities such as libraries, welfare centers, and community centers have different opening days and hours, so inquiries should be made directly to each facility. The program is handled by the city's Waste Management Division, telephone 082-420-0926.

Directly linking textile recycling to export destinations and stipulating that sales proceeds feed back into municipal revenue is a common path for Japanese local governments in handling used clothing: local volume reduction, corporate sorting, wearable items shipped to Southeast Asia and North Africa, and substandard material turned into industrial rags. The quality thresholds and item adjustments across this entire chain are also swayed by changes in overseas market prices.

Source: About drop-off collection of used fabrics and clothing (古布・古着の拠点回収について) | Higashihiroshima City Website · Originally published 2026-09-11