The average US citizen throws away 81 pounds of clothing a year. 95% of those textiles whether worn or torn can be recycled. Yet only 15% gets donated or recycled. The remaining 85% goes to land fills.
The Hilltown Resource Management Cooperative (HRMC) reminds residents that any clothing or household textile, as long as it is DRY and has No Odor can be reused and recycled. Even if the item is overly worn or out-of-date, do not toss it away. Rather, place in the Salvation Army bins located at each of the HRMC member-Town transfer stations. You may also deliver CLEAN and DRY textiles and clothing to donation centers and drop-off boxes for Goodwill Industries and the Salvation Army. Acceptable items include:
Mismatched socks, shoes and gloves
Clothing and accessories including belts, ties, underwear, purses;
Linens such as curtains, toss pillows (not bed pillows – unless new), light comforters (no heavy quilts), sheets, and towels.
When you recycle your clothing, 45% is re-used as apparel; 30% of the recovered textiles are cut into wiping rags or polishing cloths; and 20% is reprocessed into its basic fiber content. The fibers are then remanufactured to create furniture stuffing, upholstery, home insulation, automobile sound-proofing, and carpet padding. Items that are wet, moldy, or contaminated with solvents are not fit for recycling. Please do your part and Don’t Toss Textiles. For more information on recycling, visit the HRMC website at www .hrmc-ma.org