The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:
The City of Watertown, working with HELPSY, the largest clothing collector in the northeast, has collected nearly 3,000 pounds of clothing during the first month of curbside pickup. By collecting unwanted clothing for recycling, thousands of pounds of unnecessary trash have been diverted from local landfills. This not only helps the environment but reusing and recycling textiles also saves Watertown money by reducing tipping fees or landfill maintenance costs.
Textile pickups are ongoing and offered weekly. Residents can schedule online at helpsy.co/watertownma. After filling out a request form online, a driver will be scheduled to pick-up on the selected date. Clothing should be bagged and left at the curb prior to 7 a.m. the morning of pickup.
According to the EPA, textile waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the United States. It is estimated that the average person throws away nearly 100 lbs. of clothing every year. While 95 percent of the textiles that fill landfills can be reused or recycled, only 15 percent currently is. Recycling or otherwise reusing clothing can help save natural resources such as water and fuel and help to reduce toxins from pesticides.
“HELPSY is dedicated to changing the way people think about clothing reusing and recycling while adhering to the highest level of social and environmental performance,” said Dan Green, CEO and Co-Founder. The Company’s efforts have earned it a Certified B Corporation designation, using business as a force of good ™. Through a combination of clothing drives, curbside pick-ups and collection bins, HELPSY diverts nearly 30 million pounds of textiles from landfills every year. By partnering with organizations to collect these unwanted clothing and other items, HELSPY has helped to raise more than $10 million for non-profits and other organizations while helping the environment.
HELPSY accepts clean, dry, and bagged clothing and fashion accessories (stained, worn or torn is fine) including dresses, shirts, pants, suits, coats, gloves, hats, belts, ties, scarves, wallets, purses, backpacks, totes, shoes, towels, bedding, costumes, curtains, placements, tablecloths, and throw rugs. Items that will not be accepted include breakable houseware or glass, electronics, furniture, building material, scrap metal, appliances, mattresses, encyclopedia sets, phone books or magazines.
For more information about other recycling programs available to Watertown, MA residents, contact Gregory St. Louis, Superintendent of Public Works at 617-972-6420. For more information about HELPSY or to schedule a clothing fundraising drive, contact info@helpsy.co.
This is so great!
I was just thinking there should be a way to recycle my old torn jeans.
Another option for unwanted items is to donate to Sister Thrift at 370 Pleasant St. in Watertown. They accept clothing, comforters, small appliances, glassware, pocketbooks, lamps, seasonal items, pet items and much more. A percentage of their sales goes to the Metro West Humane Society. As the saying goes, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.