New NYC initiative targets textile recycling
re-fashioNYC is a new, free program sponsored by the Department of Sanitation and Housing Works and focused on collecting, reusing and recylcing unwanted clothing, linens, shoes and clean rags. Program goals include:
- reducing the 200,000 tons of textile and apparel waste each year;
- contributing to PlaNYC 2030‘s goal of diverting 75% of solid waste from landfills;
- boosting the small fraction of textile recycling by American consumers.
Upon request, re-fashioNYC will place a large metal donation bin in the lobby of a residential building for residents to deposit their unwanted textiles, then schedule pickups. The program is projected to pay for itself through the sale of approximately 90% of donations at Housing Works stores (the other 10% is expected to be landfilled). To participate, landlords, building managers or superintendents must sign up online and assign a staff member to monitor the bin in order to schedule pickups.
(via The New York Times Green Blog)
Looks like a great idea, i wonder if it will work.
People throw out so many good things!
We work with upholsterers and drapery folks and we see so much waste!!
I design/co-own Eco-Chic Up-cycled handbags: ZANSUS PURSES. They are a pure rescue, re-use, re-purpose, re-cycle, RETHINK effort. We use both pre- and post-consumer waste and convert them into one-of-a-kind handbags.
Do check our website to learn more about our commitment to the environment and to view our Collection(s): http://www.zansuspurses.com and join us on Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/Eco.Chic.ZansusPurses
Looking forward to sharing this article soon,
-Sushanta
Oh my gosh, what a great concept! Just last week I threw away many stained, torn and worn out shirts, jeans, shoes and dish rags. I felt very uncomfortable and even guilty about it. It really filled up my garbage can and I was thinking that the material should be able to be used for some better purpose. Our city has been diligently rolling out an extensive recycling program over the last decade providing households with roll carts for paper, plastic, and yard debris. Bins for glass, and recently they’ve provided us with a standard compost caddy as they have begun collecting food scraps for composting. I hope that textile recycling becomes be part of the evolution in our city’s recycling campaign.