Companies join forces to divert textiles from waste stream
BUChS COUNTY – Thousands of tons of textiles will soon be diverted from the local waste stream in the Philadelphia region - Bucks, Montgomery, Northeast Philadelphia and Southern Lehigh - thanks to an innovative agreement between textile recycler Community Recycling of cairless Hills and George Leck and Son Inc., a family-owned and operated waste hauling company based in Ivyland.
In this curbside program, homeowners will be able to recycle clothes and related soft items, paired shoes, bags/belts, known as textiles.
Tina Leck, of Leck Waste Services, said the program will initially be launched in Newtown Borough and Newtown Township in mid-September. Residential customers of Leck will begin receiving information through the mail at the beginning of September.
“Involving our residential customers in a convenient and easy solution to textile recycling is important,” said Leck. “Our ultimate goal is to offer our clients the complete spectrum of services for all of their waste and recycling needs. Adding textile recycling with Community Recycling makes total sense both ecologically and economically.”
According to the U.S. EPA, 85 percent of all discarded textiles – over 11 million tons – are sent to 8.6. ODQGfiOOV HYHUy yHDU. CRPPunity Recycling is an environmentally-conscious textile recycling company that collects unwanted textiles and related materials that are responsibly distributed for reuse, resale and recycling in the US and abroad.
By putting clothes, shoes and bags/belts back in the realm of reuse, natural resources are protected, greenhouse gas emissions are drastically reduced and dwindling ODQGfiOO VSDFH LV VDYHG $OO RI WKH textiles collected in this curbside program will be given a new life at affordable prices for people around the globe.
“Textile recycling needs to become as familiar to us all and as easy to perform as traditional curbside recycling,” said Lisa Pomerantz, VP Marketing and Business Development at Community Recycling. “Our relationship with George Leck and Son Inc. allows thousands of residents the additional convenience of curbside recycling of their clothes, shoes, DQG EDJV/EHOWV. ,W’V JUHDW WR fiQG a partner who recognizes that we must make process easy, accessible and worthwhile so that we FDQ UHGHfiQH wKDW WHxWLOH UHFyFOLQJ looks like.”
7KH HQYLURQPHQWDO EHQHfiWV IURP WHxWLOH UHFyFOLQJ DUH VLJQLfiFDQW. Reusing and re-wearing saves water, reduces energy usage, cuts down on greenhouse gas emis- sions, and helps to prevent air, water and solid-waste pollution.
The EPA estimates that every person in the US disposes of about 70 lbs. of usable and re-wearable textiles each year. Items such as shoes, clothes and bags are very dense and take up a lot of space in WKH ODQGfiOO ODQGVFDSH. DHVSLWH WKH growing green movement, most people in the U.S. are unaware that textiles can be recycled, creating local economies and jobs both here and abroad.
“With the help of leaders in the industry like George Leck and Son Inc., we can really begin to reGHfiQH wKDW KDSSHQV FuUEVLGH DQG how we as consumers view the things we wear and use.” Pomerantz said, “This is a step in the right direction as we look forward to a textile recycling zero waste tolerance.”