Old socks, holey jumpers, worn out sheets, ripped curtains and even torn underpants are all on Norfolk County Council's wanted list as it tries to cut a £750,000 landfill bill with a new recycling campaign.

The county council's Don't Throw It Away campaign is looking to show that old fabrics could be turned into hard cash after the Government revealed the country throws away a million tonnes of textiles that could be recycled.

Speaking at the campaign's launch in Thetford yesterday, Jenny Cross, waste reduction officer for Norfolk County Council, said it was as much about education as cutting costs.

'The Government's research shows that most of us are good at making sure that good quality clothing, shoes and accessories get reused.

'More of us than ever before are sending these items to charity shops, swapping them with our friends and family or even selling them at car boot sales or online.

'But the research also shows that many of us think that items in bad condition are only fit for the bin, even though most of them can be recycled into new things like padding for sofas or home insulation,' she said.

The county council sends around 7,700 tonnes of textiles to landfill, with only around a third of that for recycling.

David Harrison, county council cabinet member for the environment, said: 'Old textiles are a very valuable resource but we are currently spending nearly £750,000 every year literally dumping them in the ground.

'We are sure that our campaign will give people more and better information which will help them to make small changes but a big difference – helping boost our recycling rates and saving all of us, as council taxpayers, money which can be better spent on other frontline services.'

The County Council campaign is being funded by the Government's recycling organisation, WRAP* and will use advertising and information leaflets to help residents recycle more.

These will include highlighting the 'Where I Live' search facility on the Norfolk County Council website which allows users to find their nearest recycling point.

The campaign launched at EACH's warehouse in Thetford. Volunteers there work to separate items that have been donated into saleable and recyclable items.

Do you think the campaign will work? Let us know by emailing reporter Andrew Fitchett on andrew.fitchett@archant.co.uk