That old shirt, pair of jeans or bag you no longer wear may not be headed straight to a recycling machine—or even directly to a new wardrobe.
In Singapore, unwanted textiles placed in Cloop’s yellow recycling bins are collected and sent to Malaysia, where thousands of tonnes of clothing are sorted, assessed and channelled into different destinations depending on their condition, material and demand.
And the scale of the operation is growing rapidly.
According to a 27 August 2026 report by Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Cloop is now collecting about 60 tonnes of textiles a week, roughly double the volume recorded two years ago. Depending on the season, weekly collections can reach about 70 tonnes. Cloop currently has around 450 yellow textile recycling bins across Singapore.
So, what actually happens after you drop your clothes into the yellow bin?
The collected textiles are transported to Life Line Clothing’s processing facility in Port Klang, Malaysia.
CNA reported that the facility currently processes about 33 tonnes of textiles a day, with around 300 workers sorting clothing into roughly 500 categories.
Workers assess the garments based on factors including their condition, fabric, quality and style before deciding whether they are suitable for resale, reuse or recycling.
Some clothes can get a second life.
Life Line Clothing said approximately half of the clothing processed at the facility can be resold, depending on demand and condition. Garments that are suitable for the secondhand market are compressed into large bales and sold to buyers and wholesalers in overseas markets, including countries such as Kenya, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.
That means the shirt you thought was simply being “recycled” could potentially end up being worn again by someone thousands of kilometres away.
But here is the part many people misunderstand
Putting clothes into a textile recycling bin does not automatically mean the clothes will be shredded and transformed into brand-new clothing.
Cloop co-founder Jasmine Tuan told CNA that this is one of the common misconceptions surrounding textile recycling.
The first priority is generally to reduce waste by keeping usable textiles in circulation, whether through reuse or resale. Recycling becomes another pathway when garments are no longer suitable for those purposes.
Earlier reporting by Eco-Business also highlighted the complicated reality behind textile recovery. Depending on the material and condition, non-reusable textiles can be processed into products such as industrial cleaning cloths, while certain shoe components can be broken down into granules for uses such as sports or playground surfaces. Some mono-material textiles can also be processed into recycled materials.
Singapore’s textile waste problem is bigger than it looks
Singapore’s growing collection volumes come amid broader efforts to reduce waste and encourage a circular economy.
CNA reported that Cloop’s yellow-bin network has grown significantly since its introduction in 2022. The organisation also operates white collection bins aimed at keeping suitable items in local circulation.
But government guidance makes one thing clear: clothes should not be thrown into Singapore’s regular blue recycling bins.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) says clothing and textiles are not accepted in the blue recycling bins. Clothes in good condition should instead be donated or channelled through appropriate reuse and textile-recycling avenues. Items that are damaged beyond salvage should generally be disposed of as general waste, unless a suitable collection programme specifically accepts them.
Singapore’s official recycling guide specifically lists Cloop and Greensquare textile recycling programmes among channels for suitable clothes and textiles. It advises that textiles intended for those programmes should generally be clean and dry and that people should check what individual collectors accept.
The secondhand fashion market is growing too
The story does not end with recycling.
Singapore is also seeing stronger demand for pre-owned fashion.
CNA reported that secondhand retailer Refash, which started in Singapore in 2016, now has 17 stores in the country and said its revenue is growing by around 30% to 40% year on year.
The company receives more than 300 seller drop-offs a day and processes more than 500,000 pieces a month, including clothing and other fashion categories.
Demand is also expanding among younger consumers, while men’s secondhand fashion has become an increasingly active segment.
Japanese secondhand retailer 2nd Street, which opened its first Singapore outlet in 2025, now has three stores and has outlined plans to expand further.
Before throwing clothes away, think twice
The growing volume of textile collections may sound encouraging, but industry players stress that recycling alone cannot solve the problem of fashion waste.
The most sustainable option is still to buy less, use clothes for longer, repair them when possible, donate or resell wearable pieces, and recycle them only when appropriate.
For Singapore residents, the simple rule is:
Don’t put unwanted clothes into the blue recycling bin.
If the clothing is still usable, consider donating or reselling it. If it is suitable for a textile collection programme, use an appropriate textile recycling point such as a Cloop collection bin and follow the collector’s acceptance guidelines.
Because the journey of an unwanted shirt doesn’t necessarily end when you drop it into a yellow bin.
In many cases, that’s actually where its second life begins.
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