pillows Archives - Chicago Textile Recycling

What Can I Become

June 25, 2020December 11, 2024

Last Summer, Chicago Textile Recycling did a series titled “What Can I Become” showcasing each week the possibilities of recycled textiles and what their next life might look like. We were inspired by the organization S.M.A.R.T.’s informative post with all the different potential outcomes of recycled textiles found here. Though textiles don’t always become these specific products once recycled, it reveals many important uses your recycled textiles can have and why it is vitally important to recycle old textiles rather than throwing them away.

The first use of a donated textile will always be attempted reuse and resale at a thrift/consignment store or sent to other countries for reuse. However for those items no longer in good or reusable condition, there are numerous ways each can be recycled. And in the following examples, the products are downcycled (read our blog here to learn more) and listed below:

Stuffed Toys & Pillows

Stuffed toys and pillows can become car seat stuffing and automobile insulation. So what happens to all those stuffed animals and pillows your children no longer love as they grow into preteens and teenagers? Sometimes they can be cleaned and resold at resale stores but for those in very used condition or poor condition, they can be recycled and become stuffing for car seats or insulation for automobiles. So when your kids outgrow their love of mickey mouse or pikachu, donate it to us and we will see that it finds another life elsewhere, either in another adoring fan’s arms or to keep you and your family safe while driving down the road.

T-Shirts, Sheets, Towels & Clothing

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.

The parent company of Chicago Textile Recycling is Wipeco, Inc, which supplies janitorial products to a wide range of customers in the Midwest. The largest selling product at Wipeco is wiping rags, which are recycled from donated textiles collected from CTR bins around the Chicagoland area. Therefore, for our company, if not resold, the next best use of old t-shirts, sheets, towels and clothing is in fact to recycle them into wiping rags. We collect these from area bins and partner resale stores, as well as partnerships with local places of business.

Denim

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

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 & Coats

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 & Drapes

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 Sweater & Materials

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

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

Leftover fabric scraps can become paper money. As explained in this article, which sites the U.S. Treasury, American paper money is created from 75% cotton and 25% linen. Though pure cotton or linen textiles are much harder to come by these days, those scraps of textiles that are still produced can be used to make cash for your pocket.

Donate

Hopefully this informative blog post has informed and inspired you in your textile donations. It’s important to always remember to allow the resale workers or bin collectors to have the opportunity to make the call on what can be reused or recycled and for what purpose. Instead of deciding yourself and trashing textiles, donate all that you can in hopes of keeping the maximum amount of textiles out of landfills.

If you have questions or are looking for a bin/resale store, please contact us.

Recycling

Where to Recycle CTR’s Unacceptable Items

October 10, 2019January 9, 2020

Chicago Textile Recycling accepts numerous items through their donation bins around the Chicagoland area. However, there are some restrictions on what we accept. For a full list of acceptable and unacceptable items, click here. For those items that we are unfortunately unable to accept, we want to share some places and organizations that do accept these items, or ways you can reuse these items, so that you as the recycler are still informed about outlets for recycling your textiles.

Carpet

While we have posted before about Aquafil, a company based in Italy that has opened two carpet recycling plants in Arizona and California, they have not yet reached us as an option in the Midwest. However, there are a few other options in our area if you find yourself buying new carpet and want to help keep textiles out of landfills by recycling your old carpet.

Many companies that install new carpet offer removal options that drop off your old carpet and padding at a local recycling or reclamation facility. If the company doesn’t offer recycling as an option or you are installing it yourself, the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County provides a few options in the area, as well as encouraging donation to Freecycle or Habitat for Humanity Restores.

Either of these would be a great choice as it allows your carpet to be loved once again by someone who may not be able to afford new carpet. To donate to a Habitat for Humanity Restore, your old carpet is required to be clean and in good condition. There are several locations around Chicagoland (Addison, Gurnee, Elgin), so find the closest location and contact them for further info. The great benefit of donating to Habitat for Humanity is knowing your donation benefits someone in need.

Pillows and Cushions

Although we do accept pillowcases, Chicago Textile Recycling does not have the facilities to recycle cushions or batting inside pillows. For that reason, we are unable to accept pillows and cushions in our bins. However, we have found several options around the area where you can donate as well as an alternative option for simply sprucing up your living space.

When looking to revamp your living space, get creative and buy fabric at your local fabric store to sew new pillowcases for your throw pillows. This alone can sometimes do the trick and completely change the look of a room. If you are not feeling crafty, Etsy and Hobby Lobby as well as other retail options provide already made pillow covers for sale. These can range in price, but are typically inexpensive, and once you’ve changed the cover, remember to recycle your old pillow covers with us. In the same way, you can make or buy new cushion covers also.

If you definitely want to replace the cushions completely, one option to recycle would be to call your local animal shelters. Many animal shelters accept used cushions and pillows in good condition as well as linens for their animal bedding. You could help make a dog or cat feel a little cozier while they wait to be adopted.

For pillows that are in good shape, with no rips or stains or smells, donate them to your local resale shop if they accept these items. Remember to call ahead to double check. And as with carpet mentioned in the previous section, Freecycle is another option and resource.

Large Luggage

Another item we are unable to accept in our bins is large luggage. Due to size restrictions, and risk of blocking the opening of the bin, we cannot accept any items too large in size. However, resale stores accept luggage of all sizes and can accommodate most sizes of luggage you have to donate.

Another great option would be Suitcases for Kids, an organization that accepts used luggage in good condition for kids in foster care. Many times, these children and teens are traveling between foster homes with trash bags full of their personal possessions. This organization plus others work toward foster care children receiving luggage to travel with instead of trash bags. Suitcases for Kids encourages those interested in donating to contact their local branch of the Department of Social Services, Children’s Protective Services, or local Foster Care Agencies to ask about making donations.

Lastly, buying a Zero Waste Box from TerraCycle helps divert luggage from landfill. Although a slightly expensive option, if recycling is important to you, it is worth the money and there is always the option to ask around for others interested in donating luggage to buy a zero waste box with you to reduce costs and encourage others in their recycling goals too.

Car Seats

Due to all the extra components that make up a carseat that are not textiles, we do not accept car seats at CTR. However, there are multiple other ways you can recycle car seats that are no longer used.

Wal-Mart just finished a week long program accepting old car seats to recycle through TerraCycle and paying each recycler a $30 gift card for their donation. This program was so popular that they had to end it early due to the overwhelming number of donations. Several times a year, Target offers a similar program in their stores, sharing 20% off coupons for baby products with each car seat brought in to recycle.

Also moms’ groups would be a great way to connect with other moms and offer up old car seats. Other parents would be thrilled to save the money spent on new car seats and you are purging what you no longer need. Another option could be local women’s shelters; just remember to call and inquire first.

Sleeping Bags

Though there aren’t currently any local companies that recycle sleeping bags, there are many ways you can reuse them and pass them along to help someone else.

Goodwill and other resale stores accept donated sleeping bags in good condition, and for children’s sleeping bags, you could even make money selling them at children’s consignment shops or sales in your area.

To know you’re helping those in need, call local animal shelters as they typically accept different bedding and pillows, including sleeping bags for the animals they have in their care. Also calling around local homeless shelters could prove effective as some take old sleeping bags, and if not, there are many homeless people not in shelters living on the streets that could benefit from an extra layer of warmth. Another alternative, as with other items mentioned previously, Freecycle accepts many items others may not and you would be helping others who may not be able to afford that item.

Chicago Textile Recycling cares about our planet, and we care about the textiles that are filling up our landfill instead of being disposed of in environmentally friendly ways. We are excited to recycle what we can of your donated textiles AND we are excited to share different ways and places where you can recycle what is beyond our facility capabilities. If you know of other places that recycle or accept these items or other items on our Unacceptable list, please reach out to us and let us know. We want to provide as much information to our recyclers and followers as we can on recycling textiles.