Green Daily

In a city mired in excess (Fashion Week at Bryant Park, anyone?) one New York company is encouraging citizens to stop wasting and start acting.

Wearable Collections is giving people a chance to cut back on textile waste (clothing, leather goods, shoes, linens, and curtains) by recycling their unwanted stuff right in their own apartment buildings. By visiting the site and filling out a short form, NYC residents can request a clothing collection bin in their buildings and then schedule a weekly pick-up time that works for them.

The donated clothes go to vendors who purchase the clothing and provide it at a reduced cost to consumers in South American countries.

In terms of textile recycling as an industry, up to 50% of textile waste is recovered as secondhand clothing, 20% is turned into wiping and polishing cloths, and about 30% is converted into fiber for products such as mattresses and couches, the Council of Textile Recycling.

Before you request a bin, make sure the company picks up and delivers to your neighborhood. And if they don't, never fear: they're currently growing the business.

Wish you had a Wearable Collections in your city? Yeah...me, too. Right now, I'll have to stick with Planet Aid and my trusty local Goodwill.

Oh: and in the future, you can always not buy so much clothing. And when you do, buy vintage or used. Just a thought.