Dive Brief:
- There has been a growing number of new initiatives and campaigns outlining the benefits of recycling. Now, add New York to the list of states pursuing such programs.
- Through its “Clothes the Loop” campaign, various organizations hope to encourage residents to recycle used apparel, fashion accessories, linens, and textiles instead of placing them in the trash.
- The program aims to divert as much clothing as possible. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 1.4 billion pounds of textile materials are discarded annually across the state.
Dive Insight:
The initiative is a collaborative effort between the New York State Association of Reduction, Reuse, and Recycling, the Council for Textile Recycling, and the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association. The groups will use education to promote reuse and recyclability of clothing, and direct participants to locate convenient recycling centers for textile collection. Some sites will even accept stuffed animals, shoes, and home decor items such as linens. Check out the complete list (it’s pretty exhaustive).
According to the Council for Textile Recycling (CTR), 45% of collected clothing is reused and re-purposed, including being resold in second-hand shops; 30% is recycled and converted into rags; and 20% is recycled into post-consumer fiber—carpet padding home insulation and material used in the automotive industry. All told, that leaves just 5% of waste that does eventually wind up in a landfill.