Did you know? Austin Resource Recovery customers send about 3,322 tons of textiles (clothing, bedding, towels, etc) to the landfill each year. That’s about to change.
Starting December 5th all Austin Resource Recovery customers will have access to free curbside textile and housewares recycling services. Here’s how it will work – Throughout the month of November, Simple Recycling (which is partnering with the city to provide the new service) will be sending out informational flyers as well as green bags to all Austin Resource Recovery customers. Then, starting on December 5th, those customers will be able to put old textiles and housewares in the green bags and place them on the curb on their regular recycling day for pickup.
Here’s what you can put in the green bags:
- Clothing
- Fabric Scraps
- Shoes
- Stuffed Toys
- Linens
- Tools
- Purses
- Kitchenware
- Books
Despite the new services, the City of Austin still encourages everyone to consider donating used clothes and other household items to a charity or nonprofit organizations first. Places like Goodwill and Habitat for Humanity are great places to drop off these goods , as they not only ensure that the items will be reused or recycled, but they also direct profits towards their social good missions.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that only about 15 percent of textiles are donated to charity. With this new curbside recycling program, the city hopes to capture the other 85 percent of clothes and household items that are sent to the landfill. The idea is that in doing so, the city can get closer to its goal of diverting 90 percent of our waste from the landfill by 2040. More info>>
