Dive Brief:
- Manchester, CT launched a textile recycling program, in an effort to divert clothing from the local landfill.
- The city partnered with the Central Connecticut Solid Waste Authority and Bay State Textiles Inc. to collect used apparel, bedding, rugs, footwear and accessories such as hats.
- Within three weeks of the program taking effect, 1,000 pounds of textiles were collected from residents.
Dive Insight:
The collected textiles are sold to graders, and it is separated into various categories. 45-50% of the clothing is resold around the globe, 15% of the fabric is sold to be used as fiber for rugs, carpet pads and insulation, while the remainder of the fibers are sold as rags for industries such as car washes, painters and factories.
96,600 tons of clothing is discarded at Connecticut waste-to-energy (WTE) plants annually, costing cities upwards of $5.7 million in extraneous tipping fees, says the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Around 14.33 million tons of apparel and textiles is discarded by Americans annually; 15.7% is recycled, according to figures released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.