Next time you clean out a closet, here is a great option for what to do with your discard pile: take your unwanted clothes and linens to a textile recycling location.
GrowNYC sponsors textile recycling in all five boroughs of New York City. According to their website, the average New Yorker tosses 46 pounds of clothing and textiles in the trash every year! Textiles make up nearly 6% of all household garbage.
You can donate clean clothing, paired shoes, bedding, linens, hats, handbags, belts, and other textiles. Materials are sorted into different grades and then sold for reuse as clothing, linens, etc., or sold to recycling markets that turn materials into wiping rags, fiber for car seats, and insulation.
To find a textile dropoff location near you, visit http://www.grownyc.org/clothing/recyclinglocations.
Wearable Collections provides another great option for recycling textiles: they will put a recycling bin in your building for no charge! To request a bin, visit http://www.wearablecollections.com.
