Recycling in Chicago: Clothing

According to Eco- Watch and Earth 911, the fashion industry is second only to big oil as the dirtiest industry in the world. The scale of waste is immense - 150 million tons of clothing is sold worldwide every year, the majority of which ends up in landfills. The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) reports that nearly 85 percent of textile waste ends up in the trash.

NERC explains the material recycling process. When clothes are recycled to a charity or a forprofit textile collection business, they are first sorted and graded. The best clothing, shoes, washcloths, etc., are typically resold through thrift shops in the US. Clothing that is wearable - but might be missing a few buttons or have some other minor flaws - is typically sold in bulk and winds up in overseas markets. Then, the unwearable items, like rags, towels, used underwear and so on are further separated. Some items are cut up and resold to industrial markets as wiping rags. Other material is sold off to be shredded for insulation, or used to stuff cushions and stuffed animals, or for carpet padding and soundproofing in the automotive industry.

Chicago Textile Recycling (CTR) diverts over 2½ million pounds of waste from area landfills annually in conjunction with its parent company, Wipeco, Inc., which turns them into wiping rags. Visit chicagotextilerecycling.com for the list of items it accepts. Clean, bagged items can be placed in the bin outside its warehouse at 250 N. Mannheim Road in Hillside.

Additionally, Donate Stuff picks up items like clothing, shoes, coats, purses, athletic equipment and small home goods. Donors need only specify the charity they wish to benefit. Donatestuff.com