Planet Aid Launches “Just One Bag” Campaign on America Recycles Day
Elkridge, MD (PRWEB) November 12, 2013 -- Planet Aid is marking America Recycles Day on November 15 by launching a new campaign to raise awareness about textile recycling. The “Just One Bag” campaign asks everyone taking the America Recycles Pledge to gather up the clothing they no longer wear and are likely to discard in the next year and to drop it off at their nearest recycling bin. During the remainder of November, Planet Aid’s operations centers will also hold events in and around local communities nationwide to raise awareness about the benefits of textile recycling.
According the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Americans discard 250 million tons of trash per year, and only 35% gets recycled. In comparison, the textile recycling rate is less than half the overall rate, or just 15% (Americans produce approximately 20 million tons of textile waste per year).
This past year the Ad Council in cooperation with Keep America Beautiful launched their “I Want to Be Recycled” campaign to increase recycling rates. As part of that campaign, the group published research that found only 38 percent of Americans avidly recycle. Among the most common reasons given for not recycling were a lack of knowledge about where to recycle or what types of materials could be recycled.
“Planet Aid applauds the work of the Ad Council and Keep America Beautiful to encourage Americans to recycle more,” said Ester Neltrup, President of Planet Aid. “We want to add to their efforts by encouraging everyone to also recycle used and unwanted clothing. It is part of our mission to make it more convenient for people to recycle rather than throw their clothes in the trash.”
Donating even 10 pounds of clothing and shoes (one small bag) prevents 35 pounds of C02 gases from polluting the atmosphere, conserves 7,000 gallons of water, and keeps 3 pounds of fertilizer and 2 pounds of pesticides from being spread. Regardless of quality or condition, almost 100% of household textiles and clothing are able to be reused or recycled.
Headquartered in Elkridge, MD, and with offices nationwide, Planet Aid is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inform, mobilize and inspire individuals and communities to work together to bring about worldwide environmental and social progress. Incorporated under the laws of Massachusetts and recognized as a tax-exempt charity under IRS code 501(c)(3), For more information on Planet Aid, visit Planetaid.org.
John Nagiecki, Planet Aid, Inc., http://www.planetaid.org, +1 (410) 796-1510, [email protected]
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