Textiles recycling
How to Recycle Synthetic Fabrics & Activewear
Polyester, nylon, and blend athletic wear. Consumer options are donation, brand trade-in, and retailer textile collecting. Claims of infinite chemical recycling via store drop-off overstate US reality.
RecyclableQuality athletic wear has strong resale value; mixed textile-bin grades pay littleUpdated Jul 2026
Quick answer
Donate usable polyester and nylon activewear, or use brand trade-ins (Patagonia, lululemon Like New, The North Face Renewed) and H&M garment collecting for any brand. Chemical fiber-to-fiber recycling is not widely available to US shoppers; most take-backs feed resale, export, or downcycling.
- Recyclable
- Yes
- Typical value
- Quality athletic wear has strong resale value; mixed textile-bin grades pay little
- Donate / take-back
- Available
How to Prepare
- 1Wash and dry; remove strong odors when donating
- 2Prefer brand trade-in when the item matches that brand's rules