Why Should I Recycle Used Clothing?
Clothing and household textiles currently make-up 4.67% of the waste stream.
The used clothing industry provides lower income people around the world with affordable clothing. Clothing that is damaged is recycled into wiping rags. Clothing and textiles not suitable for wiping purposes are processed back into fibers that are then remanufactured into paper, yarn, insulation, carpet padding, sound proofing, etc.
Recycling vs. manufacturing has many "green" benefits, including:
- Carbon Footprint Reduction
- Clean Air Preservation
- Reduced Energy Consumption
- Water Conservation
- Woodland Conservation
Recycling textiles protects the environment from exposure to tons of harsh chemicals, waste products and waste water used in the manufacturing vs. recycling process of clothing.
What happens to my clothing?
45% of donated items are worn as second hand clothing.
30% of donated items are recycled into wiping cloths.
15% of donated items are reprocessed into fibers.
5%* of donated items are unusable.
*This number is shrinking, as more processing facilities become zero waste!