MCC Daily Tribune

Green Tip - The Clothes off your Back

According to the World Resources Institute (https://www.wri.org/blog/2017/07/apparel-industrys-environmental-impact-6-graphics) the average consumer bought 60% more clothing in 2014 than in 2000, but kept each garment half as long. What happens to all these clothes? Approximately 73% end up in landfills or being incinerated. That's around 70 pounds per person each year! Less than 15% of clothes are collected for recycling.

What can you do? Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

Reuse

• Consider taking items that don't fit quite right to a local consignment shop for resale.
• Donate usable clothing to a local shelter or charity like Savers, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Volunteers of America, or St. Vincent de Paul.

Recycle

• Clean, dry, and odor-free old clothes, shoes, linens, and other fabric based items--even torn, worn, and stained items. - Major donation centers will accept these items and unwearable items end up recycled and converted into items such as industrial absorbents or fiber that might be used as carpet padding. Only 5% ends up as waste. (https://www.nysar3.org/page/what-happens-to-donated-clothes-and-textiles-98.html)

Find a collection location near you using this tool from the NYS Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling https://www.nysar3.org/textile_recovery_locations.php

Some manufacturers and retailers have programs where you get rewards or discounts for bringing in unwanted clothing. See some at: https://www.nysar3.org/page/other-take-back-programs-83.html

Ann Penwarden
Sustainability Steering Committee’s Recycling Committee
05/21/2019