Starting November 1, it will be against the law in Massachusetts to throw out old clothes. The waste ban benefits the recycling economy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the use of landfills and incinerators. According to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, of the roughly 230,000 tons of clothing and textiles disposed of by residents and businesses in the commonwealth, 85 percent could have been donated or reused. “It’s one more thing that they can do to reduce the waste stream,” Falmouth recycling coordinator Mary Ryther said.
Starting November 1, no clothing, textiles or mattresses should go in either in the garbage or curbside recycling collection carts. Ms. Ryther said residents can instead donate their linens and clothing to a number of outlets, including Goodwill, the Salvation Army, secondhand stores and the numerous textile donation boxes on the Upper Cape. The for-profit company Bay State Textiles has boxes stationed at Falmouth’s elementary schools, as well as Morse Pond School. A portion of the proceeds it earns from the donated clothes is then donated back to the schools. There are also donation boxes at the waste management facility on Thomas B. Landers Road and other locations in town.
The donated clothing is then taken off Cape and sorted. High-quality material is resold and low-quality clothes and textiles are shredded and used to make new products. Ms. Ryther said residents are responsible for following the new guidelines, as no one from the town will be digging through carts to ensure compliance. Once a jacket or pair of jeans is thrown in the garbage, it is considered contaminated and cannot be salvaged for donation or shredding.