As the holidays approach and the weather turns colder, we spend time sorting through our closets and find ourselves having to decide what to do with all those things we no longer want. Some clothes we know we will donate, while others, we question if they are acceptable to pass on. We don’t want to throw them away, but we don’t feel they have any more worth to them. Thankfully, that is not the case at all. All of those clothes, shoes, belts and hats do have a second, if not third life to them yet.
Textile recycling is the oldest form of recycling, likely dating back to ancient times. What was once just a simple hand-me-down now has the ability to become something else altogether. Fibers have a longer shelf life than we might imagine. What may start as a t-shirt might later end up as a cloth we use to clean our car. The household drapes we replace to update our decor can help to make a new car mat. There are endless ways textiles can be given new life.
Here in the U.S., many companies shop at Goodwill for clothing and other textiles that will serve a variety of purposes. In Lynn, MA, a company called ERC Wiping Products secures things like towels and sheets to make their products that are then sold to the automotive industry. A contractor might purchase sturdy, used work clothes for employees who expect their clothing to get dirty or ruined. Those socks with holes in the toes? Another industry grinds them down to become new yarn. Zippers and buttons can also be ground up and used in roofing materials. Even those old tennis shoes have rubber soles that can be transformed into under-carpet pads that keep your rugs from slipping.
With all the buzz around carbon footprints, zero waste and minimizing our impact, recycling textiles rather than trashing them simply makes sense.
When you donate to Goodwill, you help fund their education programs that provide jobs to those who might not get help otherwise. You give clothing a second life, and minimize what enters the waste stream. You provide material for aftermarket recyclers, whether they are corporations, or individual artisans who re-size and re-create items into nearly brand new things. Lastly, what doesn’t get used in the U.S. may be shipped overseas where people re-purpose our discarded items to suit their community's unique needs. There is both great demand and need for our used clothing and household textiles.
Once again, SalemRecycles, the City of Salem and Goodwill join forces to provide an easy way to recycle your used clothing and household textiles in one convenient location. Morgan Memorial Goodwill will have a manned truck onsite at Riley Plaza in downtown Salem on Saturday, November 23rd (the Saturday before Thanksgiving) from 8:00-3:00 to collect any and all textiles you would like to donate. Items are accepted in any condition (stained, ripped or missing buttons) but must be clean and dry.
For a complete list of acceptable items, please visit our website at GreenSalem.com or call (978) 619-5679.
Erin Huggard is the current Chair of SalemRecycles.
