West Newton Scandinavian Living Center’s Clothing Drive A Success

NEWTON, MA — The Scandinavian Living Center of West Newton hosted a successful clothing drive on Saturday, Dec. 4, collecting 3,506 pounds of clothing and other textiles that would have been sent to the local landfill and raising money for the Erling Johansen Resident Subsidy Fund.

This recycling effort was made possible through a partnership with HELPSY, the largest clothing recycling collector in the Northeast. Each year, HELPSY diverts nearly 30 million pounds of textiles from landfills through a combination of clothing drives, collection bins, thrift store partners, and curbside pickups.

"“Working with Helpsy, hosting a clothing drive was such an incredible experience," said Alexandra Mahar, Director of Community Development for SLC, in a statement. “It’s crazy how many clothes and textiles people get rid of each year that end up in landfills. I’m so happy to be a part of the solution!”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that nearly 100 pounds of clothing gets thrown away by the average person every year. Of that amount, approximately 95 percent can be reused or recycled but only 15 percent actually is.

More information about the Scandinavian Living Center can be found here. For more information about HELPSY or to learn how your organization can set up a fundraising drive, email info@helpsy.co.