Landfills received 11.3 million tons of textiles in 2018 and that number is only growing. Turn your rags into resources by recycling clothing unsuited for donation to a textile recycler.
Fashion trends come and go and when they do, your pile of last season’s cast-offs mount. Conscientious citizens donate these to their favorite charity for a shot at a new life with a new owner. But what to do if your used stuff isn’t up to snuff?
Always give pre-loved, gently worn clothing, furniture and home goods a new home before considering recycling or disposal. Check out the Township’s Donation Guide for a list of local donation centers with easy pickup and drop off options. If you frequent one of these organizations, ask them if they recycle their leftover textiles. Some locations accept scrap fabric and overly worn items separate from your good items and are able to make a profit selling their scrap to a recycler.
Bypass the landfill and turn your old rags into re-usable textile fibers that just might turn into next season’s must-haves.
It’s simple to schedule a pickup of worn textiles and home goods from the comfort of your home. Fill a kitchen bag with worn clothes, towels, and bedding – no matter the condition – and schedule pickup at your front door. Voila – instant recycling!
When you recycle textiles, you help the environment by…
…minimizing landfill footprint
Landfills serve their purpose but they’re lousy for the environment and a burden to taxpayers. Making room for our trash is expensive—never mind the loss of land set aside for this purpose.
Did you know? Every 2000 lbs. of clothing that’s kept out of the landfill has the same environmental impact as removing 2 cars from the road.
…reducing greenhouse gasses
A landfill is a hotbed of carbon dioxide and methane. Decomposing textiles ramp up those methane levels —the most significant contributor to climate change.
…conserving water and reducing chemical waste
Nearly every step of textile production depends on water—water that’s loaded with dyes and chemicals. The industrial waste byproduct is a major watershed pollutant in countries that lack environmental regulation.
Did you know? It takes 2500 gallons of water to produce one pair of jeans and 600 gallons to make that t-shirt you’re wearing.
It’s easy to be green and recycle textiles at your door!
If your items aren’t in good enough condition to donate, schedule a recycling pickup with a local textile recycling company such as Green City Recycler. Just follow the steps below.
Thanks. Good information. Does anyone take old college textbooks???
Thank you for your question about recycling textbooks. If the content is not outdated, donation is the best option. If the content is outdated, paper and hardback (hard paper stock) textbooks can be recycled in your curbside cart. Be careful not to overload your recycling cart. Carts over 200 pounds cannot be picked up. You can also recycle them at The Woodlands Recycling Center in the paper container. If the books have spiral binding, plastic or leather covers, you will need to remove those parts and throw them in the trash before recycling.