National Textile Recycler Announces 2014 Diversion Rates
CHICAGO, IL (PRWEB) February 03, 2015 -- USAgain, the national textile recycler provides an outlet to give surplus clothing a second life through a network of thousands of recycling bins located nationwide. By diverting 54 million pounds of textiles, USAgain and its patrons prevented 378 million pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, saved more than 75.6 billion gallons of water, and 308,571 cubic yards of landfill space.
USAgain recycling programs are hosted in partnership with municipalities, local businesses, event based community drives and fundraisers for schools and non-profits. More than 12,500 collection bins in 19 states provide residents with a convenient option for discarding their unwanted clothing and shoes in an environmentally responsible manner.
“We want to reduce the negative impacts of clothes and shoes on our environment by increasing their reuse and recycling. The key is to make textile recycling a convenient part of everyday life,” said Mattias Wallander, CEO of USAgain. “Textile recycling programs are getting attention from municipalities with a goal to improve their overall waste diversion rates and we are working diligently to assist with their goal”.
Recent data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows 5.7 percent of the municipal solid waste (MSW) is textiles. A staggering 12 million tons of clothing and shoes end up in the garbage and make their way to the landfills every year.
“We are making progress but our mission is to further reduce the amount of clothing that ends up in the landfills through education and outreach events in addition to our clothing recycling bins,” Wallander said. “Every bit counts and our goal is to gain more partnerships and increase the textile recycling rate to 75 percent.”
USAgain has been proactively working with the national trade association for the clothing recycling industry — the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association to create and promote a uniform and equitable regulation for the placement and servicing of clothing collection bins across local municipalities.
USAgain continued its commitment to the environment by planting more than 200,000 trees around the globe in 2014, most in partnership with Trees for the Future, an agroforestry organization. The trees will serve to sequester carbon emissions and repair damaged ecosystems, helping to make the planet a greener, more inhabitable place.
About USAgain
A leader in the textile recycling industry since 1999, USAgain is a for-profit company that collects clothing, shoes and household textiles for reuse and recycling. Its mission is to provide consumers with a convenient and eco-friendly option to rid themselves of excess clothing, which is diverted from landfills. USAgain maintains more than 12,000 collection bins in 19 states. For more information, visit http://www.usagain.com.
Media Contact:
Rasham Grewal
r.grewal(at)usagain(dot)com
Phone: 630-293-1239 ext 1001
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Rasham Grewal, [email protected], http://www.usagain.com, 630-293-1239 Ext: 1001, [email protected]
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