Programs
CTR FAQ
Chicago Textile Recycling receives numerous questions from readers and recyclers daily. We are happy to answer any and all questions you may have about textile recycling as one of our goals is to educate readers about the importance of recycling textiles and keeping them out of landfills. There are a few questions that come up repeatedly in our inbox and so thought it may be helpful to address some of those with a blog post covering each one.
Can I Ship Items to Your Facility?
You are welcome to ship items to our facility in Hillside, however it will be at cost to you. This is why we do our best in placing bins around the Chicagoland area, partner with SWALCO to place even more bins, partner with local resale stores, and are always looking for new, often frequented locations to add more bins. If you are looking for a bin or partner resale store near your location, please email us and we will let you know of the closest one. Also, if you know of a business that would be happy to host a bin, please reach out to us.
Where Do I Take Items too Worn for Resale?
Another question we receive quite frequently at CTR is this one. And our answer is “donate all of your items to the same place.” Resale store employees are experienced in knowing what will have resale value and separating out the rest to sell/give to textile recyclers and graders.
CTR works with numerous resale stores in the Chicagoland area consistently picking up items unusable by resale stores and sending them overseas or to graders, who decide the fate of each item. When in doubt of what to do with a used textile, it is best to donate it and let the experts decide if it is indeed at its end of life. We accept worn, torn and stained items, so please donate them.
Why Don’t You Post a List of Your Bins
As for the question we often receive regarding why we don’t post a public list of our bins, at this time we don’t provide one. Unfortunately in our industry there are many illegal bin operators that don’t follow permitting and permission guidelines. These companies often search for public lists and drop illegal bins on the listed properties. This causes confusion and hassle for our donors as well as partner locations. So we keep our list private to help protect our recycling partners from these types of operations.
Do You Recycle Fabric Scraps?
Most recycling organizations are seeking clothing, as it is the most versatile material for recycling. Although there are recycling options for scraps, it is really large volumes (hundreds of pounds) that are necessary to process these kinds of materials. With that in mind, we always recommend that individuals get creative with these items for recycling. We would recommend that you contact a local preschool or daycare and see if they would like these items for their art room. Often these kinds of locations greatly appreciate donations of this sort. Another resource we would recommend you checkout is freecycle.
Can You Destroy Company Apparel?
Yes! Our Business Recycling & Destruction Services program offers local businesses the opportunity to responsibly recycle branded apparel items through textile recycling. We typically are able to accept: 100% Cotton T-Shirts, Polo Shirts and Sweatshirts and Cotton/Poly Blend T-Shirts, Polo Shirts and Sweatshirts. CTR is able to offer a certificate of recycling to your company as well as photographic evidence of destruction per request. Our destruction services are free once the apparel arrives at our facility. We are able to pick up for a fee or you can ship/drop off to us. Please see our website for more information.
What Happens with the Donations?
This is another great question we receive quite often. There are many possibilities of where your donated clothes can end up. This is why it is so important to not throw textiles away! The short answer is: resale, wiping rags, reprocessing or landfill. To know more about each of these and follow the entire process, read our blog about “Where Do They Go? Part 1 – Bins”.For what happens when donating to resale stores, the process is nearly identical. You can read all about it in “Where Do They Go? Part 2 – Resale Stores”.
Other Questions??
Was this helpful in answering some of your questions? We hope so. Here at CTR, we work hard to educate our readers and recyclers about the importance of textile recycling, so we would love to answer any questions that may come up. If you have any questions that were not covered by this blog, please reach out to us.
T-shirts, sheets, towels and clothing can become wiping rags. T-shirts and clothing in good or great condition are typically resold in stores or sent to other countries to provide clothing for the population there, but for t-shirts and clothing that is not salvageable for reuse, and for towels and sheets, many times it is recycled into wiping rags.
Denim can become home insulation. For denim jeans, skirts, overalls and other products that are in good condition, they can be resold and reused. However for denim that is not in the best shape or stained or torn too much, it can be shredded and used as home insulation. This is a great way to keep denim out of landfills and give it another life in a different form that is beneficial for textile recycling and keeping your home warm.
Shoe soles can become paving material. When shoe soles contain fine rubber powder, they can be recycled as rubber granulate that then combines with a binder and goes into creating roads, running tracks, playground surfacing, railroad pads and more. Shoes are high in demand as a reuse and resale product, but for those that don’t make the cut, they can be used for paving material.
Sweaters and coats can become carpet padding. Similar to denim that is broken down and made into insulation, sweaters and coats that are no longer reusable can be downcycled into carpet padding. One of the three methods of recycling textiles we discuss on our website is breaking the textiles down into fiber content. This would be the case for making carpet padding from sweaters and coats. Carpet padding is another great way to keep textiles out of landfills and give them a new purpose and life.
Curtains and drapes can become stuffing for pillows, sleeping bags and animal beds. In the same way as products mentioned previously, curtains and drapes can be recycled into fiber content used to stuff those three products. For curtains and drapes in good condition, they can be cleaned and resold. But for those too stained and/or torn to be reused, they may end up as filling for new products that need a little fluff.
Wool sweaters and materials can become baseball and softball filling. Ever wonder what baseballs and softballs have on the inside giving them the density and weight to be used for sport? At the core is rubber or cork, which is then wrapped in wool and poly/cotton windings, with a cowhide exterior. For those wool sweaters and materials that are falling apart, donate them even if you don’t think they would be considered for reuse. They can become filling for America’s favorite sport.
Velvet materials can become jewelry box lining. Though velvet isn’t as popular a textile as it once was, you can still find it being used in various forms such as curtains, pants, furniture and blazers here and there. When no longer in need of your favorite velvety smooth textile, please donate it. If the item is not suitable for reuse, it can become box lining for your next jewelry purchase.
Leftover fabric scraps can become paper money. As explained in this