“Re-Clothe NY” Receives 2015 U.S. EPA Environmental Champion Award

“Re-Clothe NY” is a campaign that promotes clothing and textile recycling in New York State. The program resulted in the collection of more than 100,000 pounds of textiles during America Recycles Day in November and will be awarded with the EPA Environmental Champion Award at a ceremony on Friday, April 24. “Re-Clothe NY” is a collaborative effort between the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART), the New York State Association of Reduction, Reuse and Recycling (NYSAR3), and the Council for Textile Recycling (CTR).

“The partnership between NYSAR3, SMART and CTR is an effective model of how the public and private sectors, along with not-for-profit entities, can collaborate to create statewide change,” said Jim Gilbert, NYSAR3 president, in a statement. “As a result of ‘Re-Clothe NY,’ residents throughout New York have a heightened awareness of the need to keep textiles out of the trash in order to support jobs and minimize disposal impacts. This EPA Environmental Champion Award recognizes the environmental leadership of NYSAR3 members across the state and celebrates their daily efforts to help residents, schools and businesses in their local communities reduce waste and conserve precious natural resources.”

NYSAR3 reported that “New York residents dispose approximately 1.4 billion pounds of recoverable clothes and textiles, with an estimated market value of over $200 million. Approximately 9,600 jobs would be created across the state if that material was dropped off for reuse and recycling. Across the country, only 15 percent of recyclable clothes and textiles are actually recovered, while 85 percent ends up in landfills and waste-to-energy facilities.”

Earth Day is today, April 22. To find textile drop off locations in New York, go tonytextiles.org