........ when you think about washing those winter woollies in the hope that the spring sunshine doesn't vanish and the weather stays warm. 

But what do you do with those socks with a hole in the heel, a coat that is not even suitable to be worn when gardening, or a worn out bathmat?  Of course, you could 'mend and make do' wherever possible;  and charity shops will always welcome items which are likely to sell and are clean and in good condition.  The clothing banks in supermarket car parks are also a possibility if you can get to one.  But if you are like me and don't have time for mending and the clothing is in too embarrassing a state to donate to a charity shop, then the answer is to put them in your RECYCLING BLACK BOX.

Yes, did you know that you can put any clean, dry textiles into your recycling black box and place it ready for Mid Devon's re-cycling team on their fortnightly, kerbside collections?

You might be wondering whether this is a worthwhile thing to do…. well, it is because ALL the textiles get used in one way or another - even those jeans with tears in them (made deliberately or by accident!) and your pet's old blanket.  A specialist company buys and collects all the textiles from the Mid-Devon re-cycling depot and takes them to a sorting facility.  Any clothing which can be worn is then sold in Eastern Europe, Asia or Africa.  Non-wearable items are turned into industrial cleaning cloths.  Everything gets re-used in one way or another, just as long as it is clean and dry.

So, when you are sorting out your wardrobe or doing some spring-cleaning to get ready for the summer, remember not to put unwanted textiles into your general rubbish bin - but pop them into your recycling black box.  You might even feel a warm glow that, in this small, easy way you are helping the environment at the same time as saving yourself money.  (Income from the sale of your black box textiles goes towards funding the cost of Mid Devon's waste collection service).  And you know you really should put out that ten year old t-shirt with a picture of your favourite rock band on the back!  Happy sorting.