Environmental Initiatives
New York City (NYC)
Textiles Recycling
Textiles Recycling
The average New Yorker throws about 46 pounds of clothing and textiles
in the trash each year, which adds up to 193,000 tons of textiles at a
cost to NYC taxpayers and our environment. Textiles comprise 6 percent
of our entire residential waste, and they normally go into the
landfills. However, thousands of New Yorkers have already recycled more
than 950,000 pounds of unwanted clothing, linens, paired shoes, bags and
more through GrowNYC's textile recycling initiative.
Textiles can be dropped off weekly at eight select Greenmarkets: 97th
Street, Union Square (Mon and Sat only), Grand Army Plaza, Fort Greene,
McCarren Park, Inwood, Tompkins Square and Jackson Heights. (See
"Greenmarkets" section
for addresses and locations). New Yorkers can bring clean clothing,
paired shoes, bedding, linens, hats, handbags, belts and other textiles.
The materials are sorted into different grades like usable/non-usable,
cotton scrap, cotton blend scrap and synthetics. They are then sold for
reuse as clothing and linens, or to recycling markets that turn them
into wiping rags, fiber for car seats and insulation. Since textiles
recycling program directly benefits the Council on the Environment,
Inc., the contributions are tax deductible!
To make things even easier, Wearable Collections can even arrange a home
pick up in some situations.The items can also be contributed to the
Salvation Army at various locations around the city. All receipts will
qualify the doner for a tax deduction. Also, NYC law requires businesses
to recycle textiles if they comprise more than 10 percent of the
company's total waste stream.
Source:
Grow NYC - Clothing