Your favorite pair of pants all worn out? Have a stained shirt? Holes in your socks? Don’t throw them away. Instead, drop them off for donation or recycling.
OCRRA’s Director of Recycling, Andrew Radin says keeping textiles out of the trash not only helps the environment, but also the economy.
"Over 20 million pounds of textiles are trashed by residents in Onondaga county every year, with a market value exceeding 3 million dollars. If that material was recovered for reuse and recycling, it would create over 100 jobs in our community."
Radin and OCRRA are spear-heading a local effort to get people to donate and recycle their unwanted textiles for tomorrow’s America Recycles Day as a part of the state-wide campaign "'Clothes' the Loop NY." And just like a bent soda can, what you donate doesn’t have to be in mint condition.
"Even if they're stained, even if they're torn, if buttons are missing, if zippers are broken, that's fine. Please, continue to bring those materials in for donation, and if they cannot be reused, they will be reused resold for recycling into new products."
Accepted recyclable textiles include:
- All footwear
- Clothing (must be clean and dry)
- Accessories: hats, gloves, scarves, bags (ie pocketbooks, duffel bags, totes), belts, ties
- Linens: sheets, blankets, comforters, dish towels, throw rugs, draperies, table linens, placemats
- Other cloth items: stuffed animals, Halloween costumes, pet beds and clothing, rags, pillows, canvas
OCRRA’s event will be held at the Solar Street parking area just south of Destiny USA tomorrow from 8 AM to noon. All of the materials will go to the Syracuse Rescue Mission. The first 500 participants will receive a coupon book with special offers from Destiny USA retailers. Year-round residents can drop off textiles at a variey of outlets (see below); they should not be placed in curbside recycling bins.
OCRRA's Map of Textile Recycling Outlets