TIMES RECORD • January 26, 2021
More than 16 million tons of used clothing and textiles go to landfills every year, while only about 2.6 million tons are recycled. That’s happening because folks don’t realize how reusable old clothing of any sort really is. About 45 percent of discarded clothing is reusable. About 30 percent of the rest is used as industrial rags, and 20 percent is processed into fiber that can be used in products like carpet or insulation. Only about five percent is wholly unusable. Goodwill Industries will accept all textiles, as long as they aren’t wet. ~ Harry Hopcroft, Brunswick Recycling and Sustainability Committee