Did you know that the average person only wears a piece of clothing seven to ten times before tossing it? As children grow and fashion trends change, your pile of last season’s cast-offs mount. Conscientious consumers donate clothing to their favorite thrift store or charity for a second life, but what do you do if your items aren’t worthy of the donation bin? From threadbare clothes and linens to worn out shoes, turn your rags into resources by recycling clothing right in your community!
Always give pre-loved, gently worn clothing, shoes, and home goods a new home before considering recycling or disposal. Check out the Township’s Recycle Right widget for a list of local donation centers with easy pickup and drop-off options.
For items that are beyond donation, skip the landfill by recycling your textiles! Each of the below options accepts a variety of textiles, including clothes, shoes, household linens, and accessories.
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Locate a bin near you. If you’re searching for an alternative location, Green City Recycler and Simple Recycling both offer bin location features. While additional bins are not located within The Woodlands Township, there are many bins available in surrounding communities!
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Schedule a pickup. It’s simple to schedule pickup of worn textiles and home goods from the comfort of your own home with either Simple Recycling or Green City Recycler. Fill a kitchen bag with worn clothes, towels, and bedding, no matter the condition, and schedule pickup at your front door.
Green City Recycler’s incoming textiles in the warehouse after sorting, grading, and baling for transport to secondary markets
When you recycle textiles, you help the environment by:
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Minimizing your landfill footprint. Almost 70% of all textiles in America end up in the landfill, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Landfills serve their purpose, but making room for our trash is expensive – never mind the loss of land set aside for this purpose.
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Reducing greenhouse gases. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane emissions in the United States. Decomposing textiles ramp up those methane levels — the most significant contributor to climate change.
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Conserving water. It takes nearly 2900 gallons of water to produce one pair of jeans and 660 gallons to make a t-shirt. Nearly every step of textile production depends on water, and virgin commodities create a greater strain on natural resources than using recycled materials.