December 5, 2011
Recycle Textiles for Holiday Gift to Planet Earth
Robert Doyle READ TIME: 3 MIN.
Bel Air, Maryland - As Americans continue to enjoy this holiday shopping season, the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) strongly encourages everyone to "donate, recycle, don't throw away" their old clothing that ultimately may be replaced by new gifts. Too often, holiday gifts replace existing clothes or household items and people simply discard the older, but very usable items.
Recent studies by the EPA show the average consumer throws away 70 pounds of textile products annually, textiles that could otherwise be recycled. Furthermore, recycling textiles preserves America's environment by reducing its carbon footprint.
According to SMART officials, ninety-five percent of all clothing and household textiles can be recycled or repurposed. The repurposing of textile products includes converting them into wiping cloths or re-manufacturing them into products such as insulation, carpet padding, or sound proofing material.
"Only 5 percent of all textile materials are ultimately disposed of as trash because they are either wet or are contaminated with oil, paint, or some other hazardous material," says SMART President Larry Groipen. "We want the public to know all clothing and household textiles such as tablecloths, sheets, shoes, belts, curtains and stuffed animals can be recycled. As long as the items are clean, even if they are stained or damaged, there is a recycling use for the material."
"Clothing and textiles are recyclable products that unfortunately are not top-of-mind for most people. Textile recycling has been a thriving industry in the United States for more than 100 years, however most people don't even know it exists," says SMART Executive Director, Jackie King. "We're working to make textile recycling as familiar to the public as bottle, can, and paper recycling is today."
Wiping cloths made from recycled textiles also have a significantly smaller carbon footprint than newly manufactured wiping clothes or laundered rags. The EPA estimates more than five million pounds of untreated contaminates flow into the nation's waterways annually from laundered wiping cloths.
When manufacturing a new cotton shop towel 17 gallons of water and more than 66 BTU's of energy are required during the entire process. Conversely, the creation of a wiping cloth from a recycled textile uses no water and virtually no energy.
Consumers who want to add clothing and textiles to their recycling routine can locate recyclers in their area by visiting SMART's web site at www.SMARTasn.org
Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) is an international nonprofit trade association that strengthens the economic opportunities of its diverse membership by promoting the interdependence of our industry segments and providing a common forum for networking, education and trade.
Since 1932, SMART has been at the forefront of recycling. SMART members use and convert recycled and secondary materials from used clothing, commercial laundries and non-woven, off spec material, new mill ends and paper from around the world. SMART member companies create thousands of jobs worldwide.
SMART members prove each day that you can make money by being socially responsible. For additional information on SMART, visit the association's website at www.SMARTasn.org
The following link will take you directly to informational videos on textile recycling http://www.smartasn.org/about/videos.cfm.
Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.
