In Week 12 and this week, I PURGEd some pretty junky textiles that were in pretty bad shape, by dropping them into one of those red US'Again drop boxes. There are several locations around Champaign-Urbana generally in business parking lots. I wanted to share a few words of caution when using these bins. Really, they should be a last resort for getting rid of your textiles (clothes, shoes, bed sheets, etc.) for a number of reasons:1) They are for profit. Even at the last stage, people in Third World countries are still buying the textiles that you donated. Granted, it's for very cheap, and it created jobs, they are making money off of your stuff.
2) They are not local, so more gas is consumed for transportation of the items (maybe not by you, but by them), especially since they seem to deal a lot over seas. In my opinion it's better to give a charitable organization in your local community.
3) They recycle, and it's best to see if your item can be re-used first, as your item currently is. But this is also a huge plus of them over other organizations. If they can't reuse a textile because it is too worn or stained, they can recycle it into something that can be used. Now, while this keeps your items out of landfills :), let's not forget all the energy needed and all the pollutants released into the earth in order to recycle that item into something useful :(
2) They are not local, so more gas is consumed for transportation of the items (maybe not by you, but by them), especially since they seem to deal a lot over seas. In my opinion it's better to give a charitable organization in your local community.
3) They recycle, and it's best to see if your item can be re-used first, as your item currently is. But this is also a huge plus of them over other organizations. If they can't reuse a textile because it is too worn or stained, they can recycle it into something that can be used. Now, while this keeps your items out of landfills :), let's not forget all the energy needed and all the pollutants released into the earth in order to recycle that item into something useful :(
Now, I'm not sure what charitable organizations such as the Salvation Army do with textiles they can't use. They might bring the clothes to be recycled by another group such as US'Again, but they might just toss them into the garbage. So, if your item is not in that great of shape, save your local charitable organization the work, and just make a trip to your closest US'Again drop box. But like I said use it as a last resort. You'd be surprise by what people will take off your hands if you offer it on Freecycle.
Dear Celina,
ReplyDeleteI respect and salute your mission to be a good steward of our earth by living with less and inspire others to be more like you I offer the following on my company for you and others to review
USAgain (use-again)
USAgain stations collection bins conveniently located around communities. Instead of throwing away unwanted used clothes, consumers drop them off in our convenient bins, knowing they will be diverted from landfills to be re-worn, reused or recycled.
Our Mission
Our mission at USAgain is simple: to provide consumers with a convenient and eco-friendly option to rid themselves of excess clothing, which we divert from wasting in landfills for resale here in the US and abroad.
USAgain redistributes the discarded clothes they collect to places where there is a great need for these items, supporting the local and global economy in the process. By exporting textiles to struggling countries we generate revenue, create green jobs here in the US and abroad, and help to improve the well-being of people in America and around the world.
We're leading the charge to encourage the re-wear, re-use and recycling of clothes and other textiles.
Together, we can work to give clothes a second life and make the world a better and cleaner place for people to live.
Our Activities
The activities of USAgain are all aimed at increasing the amount of clothes, shoes and household textiles diverted from waste in the U.S. for the benefit of rewear, reuse and recycling everywhere.
Our Impact
At USAgain, we work for people, for planet and for profit. Our mission is to make a positive impact for people and planet by operating a sound and sustainable business, following the highest ethical standards.
For People we contribute to the well being of those whose means give only the choice of no new clothes or used new clothes.
For Planet we contribute to the sensible use of our land by transforming clothing and textiles into reusable and valuable products rather than letting them waste away in landfills. Extending the life of clothing works to encourage the sensible use of our planet and preserve our precious resources.
We are proud to run a modern For Profit company that is creating jobs in a sustainable green industry. We contribute to the local and state economy by paying salaries and taxes, and purchasing goods and services from other local businesses
Many people as well as for-profit and non-profit organizations have chosen to partner with USAgain to make convenient textile collection a success in communities across America.
You can vistit or web site at www.usagin.com
Resectfully,
Butch Davenport