Textiles

What are Textiles? Why recycle them?

Textiles are

items that you

wear, sleep on, carry, hang. { All clothing, sheets, blankets, pillows, towels, gloves, belts, purses, wallets, all shoes and sandals}

Textiles are cloth.

Textiles
Why recycle textiles: Reduce the amount of trash going into your landfill, save space.

If you dont recycle textiles: It takes X amount of years for textiles to breakdown in a landfill.

Reuse, donate so others may enjoy the clothing you can no longer wear or need. Recycle old clothingit becomes something new!

Others may be in need of clothing and cant afford to purchase new.

Old beat up textiles become new items such as shop rags.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Trash

FACTOIDS: 2,500,000,000 pounds of textiles are landfilled every year per the EPA.
The average person adds 67 pounds per year; 99% of that could have been reused or recycled.

FACTS:
Polyester, the most commonly used synthetic fiber, is made from petroleum. The production process uses excessive amounts of water.

FACTS:

Rayon, derived from wood pulp, often relies on clearing old growth forests to make room for water hungry eucalyptus trees, from which the fiber is derived.

FACTS: Cotton, found in most clothing, is the most pesticide dependent crop in the world.
* It takes 1/3rd of a pound of pesticide to
make one tee shirt.

* It takes 700-2000 gallons of water to

produce about 1 pound of cotton.

Processing Recycled Textiles

Incoming material is graded by type and color

They are shredded, fibers and blended with other fibers

The blended mixture is cleaned and prepared for weaving or knitting

Fibers can be compressed for mattress production, car insulation, roofing felts, panel lining, furniture padding

Processing Textiles
Specialized polyester materials has a different process, zippers and buttons are removed, then garment is cut into small pieces The chips are melted and spun into new filament fiber for new polyester.

Small pieces are granulated into small pellets, they are broken down polymerized and turned into polyester chips

What does it become:

New clothes Shop rags/cloths Carpet and padding Athletic tracks/floors

Fiber fill for automobile seats

Furniture padding

Tonnage of textiles recycled

YEARS

Mid Atlantic Clothing Recycling and D.A.R.E.

D.A.R.E is a national program that gives kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence. $100 per container every month is donated to the Calvert Co. D.A.R.E. program. The national and state level D.A.R.E. programs benefit also. D.A.R.E. uses the money to purchase workbooks, tshirts, and fund activities.

What to do now

Any textiles can be recycled at any of the six convenience centers or the Appeal Landfill in Calvert County.

Mt. Hope, Huntingtown, Plum Pt., Barstow, Ball Rd. and Lusby.

Convenient centers are open from 7am to 7pm Mon.-Sat., Appeal Landfill is open 7am to 4pm Mon.-Sat.

Mt. Hope, Barstow and Appeal are open on Sundays 12 noon to 7pm.

Thank you!

If you have any questions regarding recycling please contact the Appeal Landfill at 410-326-0210. Bill Teter, the recycling coordinator, will be happy to help you. Please visit us at www.co.cal.md.us