New NYC initiative targets textile recycling
re-fashioNYC is a new, free program sponsored by the Department of Sanitation and Housing Works and focused on collecting, reusing and recylcing unwanted clothing, linens, shoes and clean rags. Program goals include:
- reducing the 200,000 tons of textile and apparel waste each year;
- contributing to PlaNYC 2030‘s goal of diverting 75% of solid waste from landfills;
- boosting the small fraction of textile recycling by American consumers.
Upon request, re-fashioNYC will place a large metal donation bin in the lobby of a residential building for residents to deposit their unwanted textiles, then schedule pickups. The program is projected to pay for itself through the sale of approximately 90% of donations at Housing Works stores (the other 10% is expected to be landfilled). To participate, landlords, building managers or superintendents must sign up online and assign a staff member to monitor the bin in order to schedule pickups.
(via The New York Times Green Blog)
