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Fashion is ever-evolving as are we (we hope) and with each
passing trend there is a pile of clothes left in our closet or our
bottom drawer to dispose of. What if you could conveniently place that
pile of clothes in a nearby recycling bin? Now, in at least one city,
you can
In September, New York City will launch one of the biggest textile
recycling initiatives in the nation, to make donating those barely used
clothes easier than ever to eliminate landfill waste.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), each
American throws away almost 10 pounds of clothing and bedding a year.
In 2008, 190,000 tons of textiles were dumped in New York City’s
landfills.
The recycling initiative would put 50 donation collection bins in
high-traffic areas around the city, where people can easily deposit
their unwanted clothing.
“I moved three times in the last five years, and each time I ended
up throwing away clothes,” says 25-year-old Tracy Feldman. “It is just
too hard to haul it all over the city. If there was a bin on my block,
I wouldn’t hesitate to recycle them.”
New York is currently taking bids from nonprofit companies,
including Goodwill Industries International, for a 10- to 15-year
contract with a nonprofit company that will be responsible for
maintaining the bins.
“There has not been another program like this that we know of,” said
Goodwill spokesman Alfred Vanderbilt. “We think they are being very
creative and we hope this sets a new standard.”
Officials say that if New York’s campaign is successful, it could
cause a nationwide movement to recycle used clothing, which would not
only create room in landfills; it could also create much needed jobs.
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