Material Mondays Continue at Union Square Greenmarket Through End of 2007

In June 2007, Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey joined two programs within the Council on the Environment of New York City -- the Office of Recycling Outreach & Education and Greenmarket -- to initiate a pilot program to collect used textiles (clothing, shoes, bedding, linens, etc.).

This pilot program supports the City’s landmark Solid Waste Management Plan and works towards achieving the plan’s ambitious recycling goals. In the three-month period the program operated as a pilot, almost 400 people donated over 12,000 pounds of used clothing for reuse and recycling, and preventing their disposal.

The success of the pilot program over the summer of 2007 encouraged the partner organizations to continue the program through the end of this year. The textile collection is held at the Union Square Greenmarket ONLY on Monday’s from 8 A.M. – 6 P.M. The donation of these items not only supports Goodwill’s many programs to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment but, also improves the environment by keeping materials that can be reused and recycled out of the New York City waste stream.

Many New Yorkers would be shocked to discover that textile waste, which includes clothing and linen items, represents almost 6% of NYC’s residential waste, as reported in the 2004-2005 NYC Department of Sanitation Residential and Street Basket Waste Characterization Study. This means that over 193,000 tons of recyclable textiles are being disposed of by New Yorkers every year, costing the City tens of millions of dollars.

This pilot program is being conducted to recover these materials for recycling, support Goodwill Industries charitable activities, and to reduce NYC’s waste disposal costs. This pilot also complements textile recovery efforts being conducted by the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY). For more information on DSNY textile recycling collection events, visit www.nyc.gov/nycwasteless

Textiles are collected EVERY Monday during the extended pilot period (through the end of 2007) from 8 A.M to 6 P.M. at the northeast corner of Union Square Park by the Greenmarket. Acceptable donations include used clothing, shoes, boots, hats, jackets, towels, bedding, and linens. Goodwill will provide receipts upon request for those who  may want to use their donation as a charitable contribution. Since 1902, Goodwill Industries has been a leader in recycling donated goods and selling them at its thrift stores to fund its mission work. Goodwill Industries is thankful for this opportunity to be part of the Union Square Greenmarket for this purpose and, with the Office of Recycling Outreach and Education, to help promote the importance of recycling.

The Council on the Environment of New York City is a hands-on, nonprofit that has been improving New York City’s environment since 1970. CENYC’s dedicated staff green our neighborhoods, create the environmental leaders of the future, promote waste prevention and recycling, and run the largest farmers market program in the country. CENYC achieves its mission through the following projects and programs:

• Greenmarket—farmers markets in all five boroughs
• Open Space Greening—provides assistance to community gardens and gardeners
• Environmental Education—provides education in intermediate and high schools
• Office of Recycling Outreach & Education—promotes recycling and waste prevention
• Learn It, Grow It, Eat It—promotes healthy eating for teens
• New Farmer Development Project—provides assistance to immigrants with agricultural experience in order for them to become self-sufficient farmers.

CENYC’s newest program, the Office of Recycling Outreach and Education (OROE) was created in 2006 by the New York City Council passage of Mayor Bloomberg’s landmark Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan. The Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC) was selected by the Mayor and the City Council to operate the new office. OROE staff works with the NYC Department of Sanitation to increase the percentage of recyclables diverted from the waste stream and to promote waste reduction, reuse and composting efforts. OROE promotes and provides information and training on waste reduction, reuse and composting programs offered by the City and various not-for-profit organizations and conducts pilot programs such as this to recycle even more. OROE will help ensure that the importance of recycling, waste reduction, and composting remain an integral part of the City’s overall sustainability and environmental efforts. For more information on OROE and recycling in general, click on “Recycling” at www.cenyc.org.