Massachusetts has officially made it illegal to throw out clothing and other textiles, becoming the first state in America to do so. Under a new law that went into effect in November 2022, residents must recycle their used garments, as long as they are dry and not infested with insects or otherwise contaminated. Please note that textiles should never be placed in your curbside recycling cart.
When you donate textiles (clothing, shoes, bags, household fabric, bedding, pillows, stuffed animals, etc.), they are sorted and the highest grade gets donated or sold to thrift stores in the US, then overseas. Remaining textiles or scraps are shredded and recycled for industrial uses. They are a valuable material that can be reused or turned into new types of fabrics, yet it is estimated that 85% of textiles end up in the trash. Here are some great options on how to properly donate and recycle your old textiles.
Beyond the Bin Recycling Directory
Click this link from MA DEP for a search engine on how to recycle certain types of materials
Click here for more resources from MA DEP
Curbside Textile Pick Up In Salem
HELPSY is offering free curbside pick ups for Salem Residents.
Click here to schedule a curbside clothing and textile pick up with HELPSY
Drop Off / Collection Bins in Salem
HELPSY
is a for profit B corp with an environmental mission: to keep clothes out of the trash. They have not only helped us run our Textile Drive and Swap N Drop Events, but they also have collection bins around the City where you can drop off clothing and books
– St. Peter’s Church, 24 St. Peters Street
Bay State Textiles – They partner with schools and communities to create a process for diverting clothing donations along with shoes, and fabrics away from the solid waste stream. Bay State has partnered with Salem Public Schools offering a collection bin at each school and a rebate of $100.00 per ton of weight collected back to the schools
– Salem High School, 77 Willson Street – Horace Mann, 79 Willson Street
– Saltonstall School, 211 Lafayette Street
– Bentley Charter School, 25 Memorial Drive
– Carlton School, 10 Skerry Street
– Bates, 53 Liberty Hill Avenue
– Witchcraft Heights, 1 Frederick Street
– Collins School, 29 Highland Avenue
On Salem State Campus:
– Viking Hall
– Peabody Hall
– 11 Harrison Road
Planet Aid bins located at 94 Bridge St, Shaws on Traders Way, North Shore Medical Center 108 Jefferson Ave, 95 Congress St, 50 Grove St, 19 Boston St, 323 Highland Ave
Reuse and Re-purpose Textiles
Before you donate your old clothes, can you find new ways to reuse them around the house? Maybe that stained T-Shirt can be used to mop the floors. Can that shirt with a hole in it be turned into a tank top?
Textile Drive and Swap N' Drop
The Recycling Committee hosts two events where you can donate clothes – The Textile Drive is the Saturday before Thanksgiving in November and the Swap N Drop is the first weekend in May, click here to learn more about these events.
Fun Facts and Infographics
