The town of Swampscott has partnered with Simple Recycling to offer recycling for clothing, shoes, socks, blankets, as well as small household items like jewelry or silverware, outside of their homes.
In December, all residents received a pink plastic bag in the mail. These bags can be filled with such items and left out with the recycling to be picked up on recycling day. New pink bags will be left for residents after the first bag is picked up.
The pink bags should be placed outside of recycling bins and visibly separated from the rest of the recycling. “We all see the daily impact trash disposal has on our environment and our seacoast,” Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said in a statement. “Programs like this help improve our environmental sustainability while supporting those in the region who benefit from the reuse of clothes and household items.”
On average, each household in the U.S. disposes of 85 pounds of textiles each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Roughly 9% of all recyclable material is truly recycled; most is instead put in landfills, the environment, or incinerated. “Proper disposal of our Swampscott’s waste is a major priority for Swampscott,” Fitzgerald said.