Highland Park to Start Clothing and Textile Recycling

The following is from the City of Highland Park:

The City, in partnership with the Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO), will introduce a new clothing and textile recycling program to residents in the next month. On August 25, 2014, the City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement with SWALCO to establish a clothing and textile recycling program at the Highland Park Recycling Center located at 1180 Half Day Road. The grand opening of the new recycling program will be announced through the City’s communication tools, including the Highlander, City Enews, website and social media.

A bin to collect the donated items will be placed outside the Recycling Center’s gates for drop-off; all donations must be placed inside the bin in order to be recycled. The program accepts new, gently used or unwanted/worn, women’s men’s, and children’s clothing and textiles. All fabrics are accepted, including textiles with stains or holes. Approximately 95% of the material collected will be repurposed and reused. A full list of acceptable and unacceptable items can be found at www.swalco.org.

The City identified clothing and textiles recycling as a priority objective in its Sustainable Community Strategic Plan and has received positive feedback from residents following the January 2014 Recycling Extravaganza, when the City introduced a temporary textile recycling opportunity to measure its success. Clothing and textiles offer substantial reuse opportunities through donation of unwanted, but useable clothes. According to SWALCO, it is estimated that nearly 85% of all clothing and textiles end up in landfills in the U.S. today. The EPA estimates that the average person throws away 70 pounds of clothing each year. Further, it is estimated that anywhere from 5-10% of all waste that is sent to municipal landfills is comprised of textiles.

For more information, visit the City’s website at www.cityhpil.com or call the City Manager’s Office at (847) 926-1000. Individuals can sign up for the City’s electronic newsletter and social media sites from the front page of the web site.