Where can I re-use, repair or recycle my outdoor gear?
A list of retailers and organisations who can help you re-use, repair or recycle your old or unwanted clothing and outdoor kit.
The most sustainable product is the product you already own. We've pulled together a list of retailers and organisations who can help you re-use, repair or recycle your old or unwanted clothing and outdoor kit.
Textile waste is a global issue that brands are increasingly required to take responsibility for so now there are more and more opportunities to help us reduce this waste and repair or dispose of our old kit responsibly.
Outdoor clothing in particular contains synthetic fabrics such as nylon and polyester that are made from thin plastic fibres. These man-made substances can have an impact on the environment where they are used so reducing the environmental impact of our products at all stages of their life cycle is essential if we are to reduce our impact.
Recent data from the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) suggests outerwear made up the bulk of items the public chucked away (37%) followed by shoes (19%).
Check out our list of retailers and organisations who can help us re-use, repair or recycle all of your old or unwanted kit and keep it out of landfill for as long as possible.
Directory
Cotswold Outdoor / Snow+Rock / Runners Need: Recycle My Gear
Drop off bins can be found in stores across the country. They'll take clothes of any quality and brand, home textiles, paired shoes (including climbing shoes) of any quality and brand (best bound together), garments that are ripped, have holes and permanent stains
Outdoor Gear Exchange
Buy, sell or trade your kit on Facebook
Kitsquad
Their goal is to assist low-income people with getting out into the great outdoors, having awesome adventures.
The North Face: Clothes The Loop
Ellis Brigham
Gift Your Gear
Decathlon: Second Life
All Second Life products have been marked in transit or quickly tested by our customers, leaving them with small, superficial scratches. This means they can’t be sold as new, but they’re still in great working order.
Alpkit Continuum
Donate unwanted outdoor clothing or equipment by dropping off at any Alpkit store (you can also post it in for free). It is then sorted and passed on to outdoor education or homeless charities to help people in need who can give it a second life. Nothing will go to landfill, guaranteed. Circular Economy Recycling
Mountain Warehouse
Several retailers are part of a scheme where you can donate unwanted clothing to a charity and receive discount vouchers in return, a way to reduce it being thrown away and diverted from landfills. https://regain-app.com/
The Climbers Shop
Good quality, undamaged clothing, equipment and footwear will be sent to the Brathay Trust for redistribution among their youth projects in Barrow-in-Furness and Bradford.
Joe Brown Shop
Good quality, undamaged clothing and equipment (Including clothing, footwear and rucksacks) will be sent to the Wallich Charity preventing homelessness.
Osprey
Ex-sample and preloved, repaired rucksacks
**Blue Bird Exchange**
Reclaiming, repairing and redistributing outdoor gear (Edinburgh area)
ReRun Clothing
Pre-loved running clothes and equipment
**Play It Again Sport Wales**
Donation drop off points for all usable sports equipment and clothing across South Wales
They take excess inventory of outdoor clothing at no charge, supply approved outdoor-related charities, recycle in the best way that they know, recover value from the best inventory and give all profit to charity.
Outdoor Gear For Good sells donated products from its UK eBay shop, with 100% of the proceeds being donated to conservation charities.
Cotswold Outdoor: Repair and Care
Get your gear repaired, from jackets to sleeping bags
Cotswold Outdoor: 60 Second Footwear Protection Service by Imbox
The world’s most effective, professional-grade footwear protection service prevents damage from water, salt, mud, dust, UV rays, stains and colour fading,
Montane Repair Service
In-house repair team help extend the lifetime of your product with a variety of repairs which include; patch and panel repair, stitching repairs, seam re-taping and zip slider repair.
‘Mulch and the Broken Thing’ is an outdoor clothing and kit repair workshop based in Sheffield. Drop your items off at The Climbing Works if you need zip replacements, new baffle panels or cuffs in a jacket, boulder pad repairs, a seat patch in your favourite shorts or long pants, rucksacks, tents, sleeping bags, custom alterations, up-cycling.
[**Llanberis Resoles**](https://www.llanberisresoles.com/)
Re-sole climbing shoes
**Alpkit Repair Station**
Repair any brand of clothing or outdoor equipment, or get it modified to meet your needs better. Drop off in an Alpkit store or send in by post. In-store repairs
**Patagonia: Worn Wear Tour**
Bring old gear from any brand to be repaired
Patagonia care and repair for your kit
**Rab**
Down & Synthetic Clothing Repair
Buffalo Systems
Snowdonia Gear Repair
Specialising in repairs and alterations for outdoor clothing and equipment
Lancashire Sports Repairs
Repairs on all outdoor brands like clothing, footwear, rucksacks, tents & sleeping bags
The Boot Repair Company
Outdoor footwear repair service
Feet First (Derbyshire)
Outdoor footwear repair service
Berghaus Repairhaus
Vango
Tent Repair, Awning Repair, Sleeping Bag Repair & Rucksack Repair
Tiso
Footwear repairs at their Edinburgh store
3rd Rock
MEND ME with an upcycled Repair Club patch, made from trouser leg offcuts.
Scarpa
Mulch and the Broken Thing
Outdoor clothing and kit repair workshop based in Sheffield
**Down Cleaning**
The Cleaning Centre brings Down Jackets and Sleeping Bags back to life.
Ox Wash
Sustainable laundry and cleaning service (Oxford, Battersea, Cambridge)
Cheshire Shoe Repairs
Resoling and repairing climbing shoes.
Dannah
Offer a repair and wash service for their products
Buffalo Systems
Offers a repair service for their products
Sheffield Clothing Repair
Clothing and Outdoor Gear repairs in Sheffield
Scottish Mountain Gear
Gear Aid
Created products that fix and restore gear
StormSure
Rab
They are piloting a down collection scheme in the UK, trying to close the loop and collecting worn-out down products like old down duvets, pillows, jackets, sleeping bags and more, before giving this valuable material a new lease of life. Find out more
[**Alpkit Continuum X Re:Down**](https://alpkit.com/blogs/news/recycle-your-down-jacket-duvet-or-sleeping-bag-with-re-down)
For unwanted or no longer functional down items (clothing, sleeping bags, duvets & pillows). If the item is still usable it will be passed on to outdoor education or homeless charities to help people in need, if not it will be sent to Re:Down who will recover and recycle the down content. Drop off in an Alpkit store or send in by post.
[**Green Peak Gear**](https://greenpeakgear.org/)
Working closely with a number of climbing walls to collect unwanted gear.
Scavenger
Together with Green Peak Gear, Scavenger are on a mission to provide alternatives to sending retired climbing gear to landfill. In many of the climbing centres across the UK, Scavenger have set up collection points where climbers can donate their old gear.
Dirt Bags Climbing
Recycling old outdoor and climbing gear and saving it from landfill.
Make your own rope rugs
Ideas on where to get patterns - some rope manufacturers include instructions with the new rope.
[**Crackpacs**](https://www.crackpacs.com/)
Backpacks and bags made from repurposed canvas tents and outdoor gear.
Hard Hat recycling – Yes Recycling
The scheme is a membership scheme, whereby registered members can send their hard hats directly into a dedicated hard hat recycling facility where they will be destroyed, with all of the plastic being fully recovered and made back into “new” plastic pellets.
FURTHER SUGGESTIONS
- Ensure you follow guidance and instructions on how to look after your kit and keep it clean
- Look for local organisations that collect winter clothing, usually for those who are homeless or new refugees
- Consider contacting your local zoo, they often need old ropes.
GET IN TOUCH
We would like to keep this list as up to date and as complete as possible.
If you know of other useful organisations and retail outlets who are offering a recycling, repair or re-use service, please drop us a line and we’ll add it to the list. Email: cath@thebmc.co.uk
WATCH: The Climate Project - help fight the climate crisis on our moorlands
Related Content
Dringo Creigiau Dysgwch Ger
With an ever increasing choice from manufacturers, the hardest part about buying a dynamic climbing rope can be deciphering what’s on offer, and understanding how it relates to your chosen activity. The days of simply choosing 9mm or 11mm are long gone, and from a light single to a heavy half, things can get very confusing.
Dringo Creigiau Dysgwch Sgiliau
Lowering off from a sport climb isn't always as easy as it is at the climbing wall. Knowing a few techniques can make the difference between an enjoyable day's climbing and a trip to A&E.
Dringo Creigiau Dysgwch Ger
Everything you need to know about the various types of rope for climbing and mountaineering can be found in our handy, free guide.
Dringo Creigiau Dysgwch Ger
How often do you check your trad gear for damage or wear and tear? Here's the 'how' and 'why' of keeping your cams in check.
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Sgiliau
When should you use crampons? Our guide explains the 'when', 'where' and 'how' of deploying your spiky winter gear.
Hill Walking Articles
Having a duvet day or a quiet night in? We've got you covered. There's nothing better than a day in the hills - but we think planning a day in the hills comes in pretty close second. If you're looking for inspiration for your next on-foot adventure, check out our lineup of ten of the best mountaineering, hiking and hillwalking films from the BMC TV YouTube channel.
Dringo Creigiau Dysgwch Ger
If you’ve never climbed before or have only climbed indoors, the equipment used for tackling real rock can seem mysterious, exciting and expensive. We've put together a list of the essentials...
Dringo Creigiau Dysgwch Ger
Climbers use quickdraws to attach their rope to pieces of protection when lead climbing. A quickdraw consists of two karabiners connected by a textile sling. Find out about the different types and some of the key issues in this article.
Dringo Dan Do Dysgwch Ger
We take a look at the culture of tight climbing shoes. Just how tight is too tight - and are we creating problems for the future?
Climate Articles
Want to know more about how you can reduce your own personal carbon footprint and lessen your impact on the environment? We’ve tried to make it simple for you by producing three separate checklists – for yourself, your workplace and for any events you might be arranging.
Hill Walking Articles
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Ger
This article helps you decide what sort of crampons are suitable for your winter walk, or whether micro-spikes could be an option, as well as discussing the compatibility of crampons to walking boots.
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Sgiliau
A look at some of the benefits of poles and how to use them for hill walking.
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Ger
Walking boots can be expensive and should last a long time, so this article looks at factors to consider before you buy.
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Ger
A look at types of small, lightweight stoves suitable for hill walking and backpacking trips.
Article
What should you look for when choosing down products? Some factors to consider when investing in new down gear.
Hill Walking Articles
Clean out your kit cupboard and put a spring in your step knowing that you’re making greener choices throughout the lifecycle of your outdoor products.
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Ger
Hill walking doesn’t require as much specialist equipment as many other outdoor activities, but is important to have the appropriate equipment for the route and activity you have chosen and the weather forecasted. In this article we outline the basic equipment every hill walker needs:
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Ger
It can often seem like choosing the eco-friendly route in life can involve higher costs - from the basics like ethically-sourced food and household refills, all the way to the latest tech in solar panels and electric cars. But with outdoor gear, it can be the exact opposite if you know how!
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Ger
In this article we’ve listed the ideal range of hill walking items so you can head out with everything you might need.
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Ger
We take a look at what clothing to wear when hill walking, and how to layer it to stay warm, dry and comfortable in cold and wet conditions.
Article
Boots are a big investment, look after them and they will look after your feet for years to come. Here are our tips to keep your boots in top condition.
Cerdded Bryniau Dysgwch Ger
Whilst emergencies are a rare occurrence in the hills, there are a few pieces of equipment that can make a massive difference if they do happen.
Climate Articles
We breakdown the carbon cost of journeys to popular climbing and trekking destinations abroad and offer alternative modern climate conscious solutions to the method of travelling to get there.
News
As the world’s garment manufacturing industry moves to a more sustainable business model, what we’re wearing in the hills in three years time will be very different to today’s unsustainable, un-recyclable, polluting garments, predicts Mike Parsons from the Outdoor Gear Coach. But why is change needed? And what is going to happen? Mike explains in this article.
Article
In National Walking month this May we’ve teamed up with BMC Official Retail Partner Cotswold Outdoor to bring you all the info and advice you need to care for and repair your favourite pair of walking boots. Not only does this save you money, it also saves the environment - the less we consume and throw away, the better.
Hill Walking Skills
Outdoor writer and photographer Chris Townsend presents this series of hill walking how-to films. In this episode Chris shows you how to use walking poles.
Climate Articles
Halving emissions by the end of the decade and cutting greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible by 2040 are the ambitious goals set out by the National Governing Body in order to ‘lead by example and play its part in tackling the climate crisis’.
Dringo Creigiau Dysgwch Ger
Read on to discover more about slings, and what you can do with them to help you climb more safely.