Sanit sets sites on recycling your clothing

The “fashion capital of the world” is now looking to become the “re-fashion” capital, too.
The New York City Department of Sanitation is launching a used clothing recycling program – re-fashioNYC – at the city’s apartment buildings making clothes donations as easy as possible.
Building managers or owners of buildings with 10 or more units can sign up to participate in this program. When the bins are delivered – which may take up to three months – a staff member from the building must be present. After that the only responsibility is to contact re-FashioNYC when the bins are full.
The program’s slogan of “clean closets, good cause, green city” displays the benefit for all the parties involved.
Clutter fills many apartments throughout the city. As seen by the approximately 200,000 tons of clothes, towels, shoes, etc. thrown away each year, residents own much that they deem no longer necessary. This initiative gives residents a reason to go through their closet and donate what they do not need.
The items donated goes to Housing Works’ shops around the city. What is not sold there will be sent to Haiti, sold to used textile merchants or shipped to overseas markets. All the profits made from the sales of the clothes will benefit low-income and homeless New Yorkers living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Since these clothes are going to good causes, they stay out of the city’s landfills, helping the city reach the goal of eliminating 75 percent of solid waste.
The bins also come with tax receipt forms for donations valued at less than $250. Donations that exceed that amount must be brought to a Housing Works Thrift Shop location.
If you are a tenant and would like your building to take part in this program you can visit www.nyc.gov/refashionyc and fill out the online inquiry form.