How to Dispose of Curtains and Blinds

Curtains are mainly textile, while blinds may combine fabric, aluminium, wood, plastic cord and mechanisms. Both are often made to specific window sizes, so accurate measurements can turn an unwanted fitting into a useful reuse item.

Why the correct route matters

Textile collectors may accept curtains but reject rigid blind mechanisms. Complete reuse avoids separating rails, weights, cords, slats and mixed fabrics that rarely share one recycling process.

What to know

Label curtain width, drop, lining and number of panels before offering them.

Include blind brackets, screws and operating wands in a sealed labelled bag.

Old blind cords can present a strangulation risk and must be secured away from children.

Mould, heavy smoke odour or degraded blackout coatings can prevent safe reuse.

What to do

1. Vacuum or wash the material according to its care label.
2. Measure every item and photograph fittings.
3. Bundle cords securely and remove child-safety devices only with instructions.
4. Ask the reuse or textile collector what it accepts.
5. Separate materials only when the council requests it.

Practical details that make a difference

Made-to-measure blinds may still suit a smaller window if a competent fitter can alter them, but cutting mechanisms at home can damage springs and safety devices.

Curtain poles and tracks should be listed separately with their length and brackets. Long items need safe transport and may exceed kerbside collection limits.

Curtains can often be shortened, relined or turned into smaller household textiles before disposal. Remove hooks, weights and detachable rails, then label pairs with their approximate drop and width for reuse. Blinds deserve extra care: loose cords can endanger young children, so secure them during storage and do not donate a damaged product with an unsafe cord mechanism.

Mistakes to avoid

Do not put complete blinds in a clothing bank or leave long poles protruding from bins. Never pass on an unsafe cord arrangement.

A better option where possible

Use sound curtains as draught-reducing door coverings, theatre fabric or sewing material after removing hooks and weights.

Explore related help in Recycling at Home.

How to get rid of old curtains

Offer clean, usable curtains for reuse with their width, drop, lining type and number of panels. Charity shops and textile collectors set their own acceptance rules, so check before travelling. Curtains that are mouldy, heavily contaminated or made with damaged mixed-material linings may need the residual or recycling-centre route specified by your council.

How to dispose of old blinds

Keep usable blinds complete with brackets, screws and measurements so they can be reused. Broken blinds combine slats, cords, fabric and mechanisms that may need different routes. Ask the recycling centre whether it accepts the complete blind before dismantling it.

Can curtains or blinds go in the household recycling bin?

No. Curtains are not ordinary paper or packaging recycling, and complete blinds are mixed household items rather than metal or plastic packaging. Use an accepted textile, reuse, bulky-waste or recycling-centre route.

How should blind cords be made safe?

Secure loose cords and chains before storage, transport or reuse, and keep them away from children. Do not cut tensioned mechanisms or dismantle spring-loaded fittings unless the manufacturer’s instructions say it is safe.

Official guidance

See Recycle Now item finder. Collection facilities vary, so confirm the current instruction for your address before acting.

Sources checked: July 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Can curtains go in a textile bank?

Some collectors accept household textiles; others take clothing only. Read the bank label.

Are aluminium blinds recyclable?

Possibly through scrap metal after safe separation, but complete blinds do not belong in household metal packaging.