Popular Evergreen Park Textile Drive Returns To Yukich Field

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — If you have old towels, curtains, linens, footwear, accessories (purses, hats, belts, etc.), clothing and anything made of cloth, don’t throw them away where they’ll end up in a landfill. Bring them to Yukich Field, 8900 S. Kedzie Ave., for Evergreen Park’s textile drive from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 15.

The Environmental Recycling Commission of Evergreen Park is sponsoring the textile recycling event in collaboration with USAgain. All materials will be recycled in the USAgain Tree Machine. More information on accepted items can be found here.

The Tree machine DOES NOT accept furniture, mattresses, rugs, carpet, or household appliances. Also, that leaving items outside the Tree Machine is considered dumping and will be prosecuted.

Textile drives are the latest trend in recycling events. Clothing and household textiles currently make-up 4.6 percent of the waste stream, according to Chicago Textile Recycling. Extending the life cycle of textiles can reduce energy and water consumption through the distribution of reclaimed wipers or recycled rags vs. manufactured.

Old garments, towels and institutional linens can be transformed to wiping-cloths needed for industrial use, supporting a cleaner, healthier environment. Gently worn clothing can also be reused by being sold wholesale or exported to developing countries. For every full Tree Machine, USAgain plants a new tree.