Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district in Bavaria, Germany, is gradually removing some of its roughly 180 used clothing collection containers. The latest list of collection points published by the city of Gunzenhausen shows that two more drop-off points have disappeared within the city, because processing costs have risen and revenue from used clothing has fallen, making collection no longer worthwhile for the operating organizations.

Key Points

  • Of the roughly 180 used clothing collection bins in the district, several have been removed over the past few months, with operators including the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) and other organizations.
  • The collection bin on Spitalstraße in Gunzenhausen has been removed, and only one remains on Weinbergstraße; the district's recycling centers and scrap collection points continue to accept used clothing and shoes free of charge, passing them on to charitable organizations such as BRK and the Lions Club.
  • Part of the reason for rising costs is that people throw large amounts of garbage into the bins, including dirty underwear and shoes so worn out they can no longer be worn; the circular economy law effective since 2025 stipulates that used clothing must not be discarded as garbage.

Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district has about 180 used clothing collection containers, usually placed in residential areas, commercial areas, and around supermarkets. Organizations such as the Red Cross must register these bins in advance. Over the past few months, such collection points have been continuously dismantled. Spokespeople for BRK and the district government had already explained over the past year: collection and processing costs are rising, while revenue from selling used clothing is declining, making used clothing collection no longer economically viable for the organizations.

According to the BRK spokesperson at the time, an important reason costs have been driven up is that people throw too much garbage into the bins, including "dirty underwear, or shoes so worn out that even the owners themselves would not want to wear them anymore." This contradicts the spirit of the circular economy law that took effect in 2025, which stipulates that clothing must no longer be discarded as garbage.

The city of Gunzenhausen regularly updates the list of used clothing collection bins within the city. The latest version shows that the bin on Spitalstraße has been canceled, and only one remains on Weinbergstraße. Currently the largest collection point is at the library parking lot on Sonnenstraße, with five bins; the parking lot next to the Gunzenhausen festival square and the area near BayWa on Zufuhrstraße each have four bins. The locations of the remaining bins can be found on the municipal official website.

According to information on the official website of the Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district government, the recycling centers in Weißenburg and Gunzenhausen, as well as all scrap collection points throughout the district, continue to accept used clothing as usual. Textiles and old shoes handed in there will be passed on free of charge to charitable groups such as BRK and the Lions Club. The district administration also recommends that clothing and shoes still in good condition and wearable should be taken directly to public welfare institutions, social welfare shops, or second-hand stores, such as Caritas, Diakoniekaufhäuser, and the Red Cross.

This round of bin removals shows that when sorting costs are high, the value of sellable used clothing is low, and improper disposal of garbage intensifies, the traditional used clothing collection model relying on charity organizations to place collection bins is facing pressure to shrink; the official response is to direct still-wearable used clothing toward second-hand and public welfare channels, while retaining free acceptance channels at recycling centers and scrap points.

Source: Wegen zu hoher Kosten: Zwei Altkleidercontainer weniger in Gunzenhausen · Originally published on 2026-10-02