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Local Voices

Small Towns Westville and Brooklawn NJ have Big Results in joining the Reuse Movement with Community Recycling

Sense of Community and People Power Brings Success to New Clothing Recycling Program

What does it take to make a great idea like curbside clothing recycling take root and mobilize? Press and social media help, but what is THE answer? People. At the end of the day, it’s not about tweeting or liking, it’s about the people – and the strong sense of civic pride that started decades ago with traditional curbside recycling. It’s the residents of both boroughs in New Jersey NJ who believe that clothing recycling is the right thing to do. Donna Domico, Public Works director for the Borough of Westville and and Superintendent of Public works for the Borough of Brooklawn, has been a social change ambassador who is making clothing recycling happen with great results. Partnering with Community Recycling,  they have come up with ways to reduce the waste stream and support the mission of People Recycling for People.

 

“Our community has been recycling traditional recyclables for over thirty years. It was not a hard sell to get these towns on board, doing the right thing and recycling with reuse in mind,” Domico said. “This program is not only smart from a financial perspective, but it is one that will help people all over the world.”

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Community Recycling began working with Westville for curbside collection on Earth Day of 2012. Prior, both Boroughs were taking part in the CR Bins program, where collection bins were placed for convenient drop off of clothes, shoes, bags and belts. The residents of both small towns have been able to masterfully see the vision  proposed by Domico and bring great success to their towns. They understand that building communities here, helps to build communities elsewhere.  It comes to people power.

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In a few short months, 12,746 pounds of clothing, over 6 tons, have been recycled with reuse in mind in the Borough of Westville; with just one pickup, the Borough of Brooklawn has collected 3,642 pounds of clothing. These numbers translate into significant savings in incinerator fees, in waste diversion, and in earned income for the recyclables.

“In the Borough of Westville, trash disposal is $ 85.00/ton. We receive $0.10/pound of clothing/textiles that are recycled which . equates to a $ 105.00/ton savings,  as well as wasted dollars on burning the textiles,” Domico stated.” In the Borough of Brooklawn, trash disposal is $65.00/ton and with  the receipt of $0.10/pound of clothing that are recycled, that equates to a $ 135.00/ton savings. “It will save space in landfills as well as save wasted dollars on burning the clothes. It will also help us with our tonnage grants which is (required) by the NJDEP,” Domico further said. 

“Pulling clothes, shoes, bags and belts that are perfectly reusable from the waste stream and putting them in the hands of those that cannot afford brand new is an easy way to reduce waste, increase diversion and be green,” said Lisa Pomerantz, VP of Marketing and Business Development. “It’s impressive to see small towns like these, the first in the entire state of NJ, to offer a curbside collection and to celebrate the cause of clothing recycling with reuse as the central feature. It’s truly People Recycling for People!” 

Community Recycling is also announcing a brand new era in clothing and textile recycling with a solution that fits the lifestyle of millions across the US, where curbside pickup is just not an option for numerous reasons. CR Home makes clothing and related textile recycling as easy as boxing things up and leaving them on the doorstep for your postal worker. Utilizing the existing infrastructure of the postal service, anyone in the US can participate in this rewarding recycling experience. CR Home recyclers will learn where the clothing is sent for resale and reuse, as well as the personal environmental impact they have by choosing to join the Reuse Movement. 

“CR Home encompasses transparency, connectivity and humanity. We want people to know and understand where their clothes go in an effort to make the world a smaller, friendlier and greener place,” Pomerantz continued.

CR Home is also working with some big retailers to make the fashion industry greener and more sustainable. Original Penguin is the first to jump on the bandwagon and involve their consumers to be a part of the solution.

Community Recycling is proud to be a for-profit recycler of clothing with a focus on reuse. They are a company that does well by doing good, bringing the industry such innovative recycling programs as CR Kids, CR Campus, and ShoeBox Recycling. They recognize that people everywhere are looking for easier ways to do the responsible green thing without having the hassle and legwork. Community Recycling takes on all of the work, logistics and foots the bill for shipping. They literally connect the dots between all the extra things no longer needed or used in a household, and the people here in the US and around the world that depend on second-hand items in an affordable way.

In the latest report from the EPA, Facts and Figures for the 2011 Municipal Solid Waste, clothing recycling shows an equivalent impact of removing one (1) million cars from the nation’s roads. That is more than five (5) times the impact of recycled yard trimmings, more than four (4) times the impact of glass recycling, more than plastics recycling and nearly the same impact as recycling aluminum. 

CR Home is designed to empower and engage the population who has yet to jump on the reuse bandwagon with convenience and comforts of  home.

No matter how you get there, Community Recycling hopes you all make the eco-friendly choice to join the Reuse Movement keep landfills hungry while supporting the ongoing mission of People Recycling for People. Currently, Community Recycling diverts between 2-3 million pounds of clothing each week for reuse.  That amounts to well over 100 million pounds per year for the good of the environment and the people who make up communities around the world.

Visit us at www.communityrecycling.biz for more information and please join us as one of our People Recycling for People
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