Too Shabby to Donate? Recycle It Here!

Written by SHONNA KEOGAN (Open Post)

Got tattered towels, stained shirts, torn trousers, dilapidated drapes, worn-out hoodies with broken zippers, ripped sheets, threadbare stuffed toys – plus shabby shoes and handbags – that are too far gone to donate to charity?

Instead of throwing them out, now Village residents can give them new life through the new Textiles Recycling Program, a project coordinated by the Village of Mamaroneck Committee for the Environment (CFTE), in cooperation with the Toy Box.

Village residents can deposit any of the following items in the green textiles drop box, located in the parking lot of Toy Box at 300 W. Boston Post Road:

· All kinds of clothing, no matter how grubby!

· Household textiles, such as tablecloths, sheets, curtains, towels, dishcloths, pillows, blankets

· Stuffed animals and dolls

· Handbags, belts, backpacks, hats, gloves

· Shoes, boots, and other footwear. NO RUBBER.

The EPA estimates that 85% of the over 13 million tons of textiles discarded annually in the U.S. ends up in the trash. That amounts to about 772 tons a year for our village with an estimated population of 19,000 residents.

Fabric recycling takes unwanted textiles - whatever their condition – and turns them into something useful, such as wiping rags, carpet padding, or insulation. At the same time, recycling reduces the amount of waste destined for the incinerator, helping the environment and saving the Village money on disposal costs. Since the Village pays approximately $27 per ton to dump garbage, the village could save approximately $20,000 a year.

All items must be dry, CLEAN, and free of contaminANTS such as oil and hazardous chemicals.

The Village of Mamaroneck is one of the first communities in Westchester COUNTY to recycle textiles. For more information on the new textile recycling program and other Village environmental subjects, visit www.mamaroneckgree.org.