Salem To Start Free, Curbside Clothing, Household Textile Pickup

SALEM, MA — Salem is looking to increase its community recycling through free curbside pickup of clothing and other household items.

Starting the week of April 24, residents can make an appointment to have used clothing, towels, bedding, curtains and other household textiles picked up through a partnership with HELPSY.

Several weekend pickup dates are planned this spring.

"We are excited to offer a convenient way for residents to dispose of old clothing sustainably," said Micaela Guglielmi, Waste Reduction Coordinator for the City. "Between collection bins, clothing drives, and now this curbside collection service, there is no reason for textiles to end up in the trash."

The city said the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average person throws away 81 pounds of clothing each year — with 95 percent of that trash being eligible for recycling.

HELPSY accepts clean, dry, and bagged clothing and fashion accessories including dresses, shirts, pants, suits, coats, gloves, hats, belts, ties, scarves, wallets, purses, backpacks, totes, shoes, towels, bedding, costumes, curtains, placements, pillows, stuffed animals, tablecloths, and throw rugs.

Recycled items can be in any condition — stained, worn, torn, with holes or missing buttons. Glass, electronics, scrap metal, appliances, mattresses, encyclopedia sets, phone books and magazines cannot be accepted.

"As a designated Green Community, Salem is dedicated to strengthening our commitment to recycling efforts," Mayor Kim Driscoll said. "Our recurring textile recycling events are always successful, but by expanding that into this new free curbside service, which will take place all year round, we're making it even more convenient for residents to recycle textile items. This will help reduce the volume of our solid waste, saving money on trash disposal, as well as better meeting our community's sustainability goals."

Those with questions can contact Guglielmi at 978-619-5672.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)