Have unwanted clothes that can't go in the trash? Look for these blue bins in Massachusetts
WOBURN - As you start your spring cleaning, a reminder that throwing out clothing and other textiles is no longer allowed in Massachusetts. Lawmakers passed the ban last fall due to growing environmental concerns of millions of tons of clothes that end up in landfills every year.
So now what do you do when you want to clean out the closet to make way for your new spring pieces?
A company with a warehouse in Woburn is committed to solving that problem and helping several local school districts at the same time.
It's called Helpsy. The Maryland-based company has large blue bins all over Massachusetts to collect unwanted clothing.
"A lot of clothing that ends up in the trash could totally have a second life," explained Lisa Sciannella, Helpsy's chief of staff.
Massachusetts donations end up in a warehouse in Woburn. The bags filled with those treasures from the back of your closet are tossed into a compactor and compressed into large bundles and then shipped to a sorting facility in New Jersey.
Helpsy workers then sort through the clothing. Items that can be worn are sold to retailers like thrift stores. Damaged pieces are recycled into insulation or other products.
Helpsy partners with more than 20 communities across Massachusetts. The towns have a place for residents to dispose of clothing and the communities don't have to worry about any fees associated with disposing of the textiles.
The company also works with several school systems, including Boston and Newton.
"Typically, we place bins at schools and through the clothing they collect, they actually earn funds for whatever program they want to fund," Sciannella said.
Helpsy is a for-profit company, but they are committed to doing what they can to protect the environment.
"I don't think people realize how big of a problem textile waste is. It's going to take some education from public to think about clothing as something that needs to be reused or recycled," Sciannella said.
Helpsy is always looking to partner with municipalities and schools. You can contact them here.
