Recycling 101
Donating your clothing, shoes, and household products saves dollars and makes sense
Recycling clothing and household items isn’t just environmentally sound; it’s an economic boon for several reasons:
- Reduces landfill space – by not throwing away, you save space and help others!
- Reduces pollution caused by incinerators burning discarded textiles – keep the air cleaner, and provide low cost clothing options in your community.
- Provides low cost clothing options here in the US – not everyone can, or wants, to buy new. By donating your unwanted, usable items you provide options to others.
- Clothing and other textiles can be converted into other textile products – recycling gives textiles another life.
Understanding what’s behind those fabrics
We all have our favorite “comfy” sweater, or soft blanket, but every garment and textile starts as raw materials. Understanding what is included in the manufacturing process helps turn a “throw away” garment into a “donate-able” one.
Interesting Clothing Facts
Did you know that…
- Polyester – found in most closets in the US is a made from petroleum, and the process to create polyester is energy-intensive as well as requiring a large amount of water for cooling?
- In the manufacturing of nylon a greenhouse gas – nitrous oxide – is emitted?
- Rayon, derived from wood pulp, often relies on clearing old growth forests to make way for water-hungry eucalyptus trees which contains the fiber needed?
- Cotton is the most pesticide-dependent crop in the world?
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