MARLBOROUGH – Mayor Arthur Vigeant and Marlborough Department of Public Works have announced that the city will be participating in a textile recycling pilot program.
This program will be in conjunction with Planet Aid, which has contracted with the state to facilitate keeping textiles out of landfills. Its signature yellow bin will be placed in the Department of Public Works parking lot at 135 Neil St.
Items that you may donate include shirts, pants, jackets, suits, gloves, socks, undergarments, handbags and backpacks in any style, age or condition.
Household textiles include curtains, drapes, sheets, blankets, comforters, towels, linens, pillows and rugs.
Footwear can include shoes, sandals, sneakers, cleats, boots, flip-flops and slippers.
Wet or moldy and items contaminated with hazardous materials are not allowed.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, every year Massachusetts residents throw away about 230,000 tons of usable textiles. Ninety-five percent of this material can be reused as clothing or re-purposed into other materials such as rags or cloths.
There are many benefits to textile recycling, including decreasing the amount of trash buried in landfills or burned in municipal waste combustors that reduces disposal costs for local governments, according to the mayor’s office. Many donated textiles are sold as second-hand apparel either through charitable organizations or for-profit exporters.
Organizations such as Goodwill and Salvation Army operate retail stores where donated clothes and household items are sold.
For more information, please contact the mayor’s office at 508-460-3770.
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