When you can't sell your used clothes

November 12, 2004

Dear Marti,

Is there anything I can do with ripped sheets and old T-shirts and towels, etc., or is that something that has to go in the trash?

Thanks,
MM

Dear MM,

Right now the three big items that seem to go into my garbage and not into a recycling bin are as follows: kitty litter (I hear you can teach cats to use the toilet, I’m giving it some consideration), dumb plastic non-recyclable packaging I’d love to dump on some manufacturer’s lawn somewhere, and “textiles” like thread-bare clothes I’d probably wear if it weren’t for my mother’s criticisms. I’m happy to report, for my mother’s sake and mine, that the last item on the list doesn’t need to go in the trash can anymore, it can now be recycled at the Eco-Cycle/City of Boulder Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (“CHaRM” to its friends). The CHaRM was designed to help our community get to Zero Waste—or darn near—by creating recycling opportunities for unusual items like computers, athletic shoes, books, plastic bags, etc. We add at least one new material each year and now, in celebration of the Center’s third birthday, we’re adding textiles to the list.

So starting November 15th, you can open your closet and gut it of all your grubby garb—your torn trousers, towels, and T-shirts as well as shredded sheets, shirts, and shorts. Before you drop items off at the CHaRM, however, remember: REUSE FIRST. If your clothing is in good, reusable shape, please take it to the great thrift stores or charitable organizations in our area for resale or redistribution. Bring us the rejects or items you know are too stained or too torn to be of interest to them. Textiles brought to the CHaRM facility will be reused whenever possible, with much of them going to African communities in need. Materials that can’t be reused will be recycled as rags. Items may be stained, but we ask that they be clean. A good method to determine whether the CHaRM will accept your textile item is to ask yourself whether it could be made into a rag—unless it’s underwear. We don’t want that; keep that yourself to use as a rag.

We’ll accept the following:

• Clothes, including shirts, pants, jackets, sweaters and sweatshirts
• Uniforms
• Socks—pairs only, tied or balled together
• Shoes—pairs only, tied together
• Sheets, blankets, tablecloths, linens, towels, bathrobes and other terry cloth material
• Sleeping bags
• Clean rags and sewing remnants one square foot or larger

NO:

• Dirty, wet or moldy clothes
• Single socks or shoes
• Pantyhose or nylons
• Carpet or carpet padding
• Drapes with a liner
• Non-fibrous material
• Underwear

So what can you expect our next material to be, come our fourth CHaRM anniversary? I was lobbying for kitty litter because I just don’t think my fat cats are going to be able to balance on a toilet seat, but I really doubt that will be the next item. No promises, but we’re looking at that big blocky white stuff that comes in packaging boxes and makes us all crazy. That’s all I’m saying for now.

 

 

Posted November 2004