For Immediate Release

July 10, 2018

View or download release in PDF format

TROY, NY – Mayor Patrick Madden today announced the City of Troy has launched it’s first-ever textile recycling pilot program. The City of Troy has partnered with the American Clothing Recycling Company based in Glens Falls, New York to collect clothing, shoes, and other textiles for reuse and recycling. Residents can deposit accepted items at four neighborhood recycling drop stations in the Collar City.

Mayor Madden said, “The City of Troy is continuing to offer new initiatives to increase access to additional recycling opportunities at no cost to taxpayers. This program allows residents to dispose of unwanted clothing and other items while simultaneously reducing their impact on the environment. As we pursue a new comprehensive approach to solid waste management it is important to diversify and expand its recycling options. By expanding our recycling program to include textile options we can reduce our community’s environmental impact and help keep recyclable materials out of landfills. I encourage our residents to utilize this alternative recycling program.”

Textile recycling stations are available at the following locations:

Fire Department Central Station – 2175 6th Avenue (rear alley)

Fire Department Station #1 – 115th Street and 5th Avenue

Fire Department Station #3 – 530 Campbell Avenue

South Troy – Corner of Main Street and E. Industrial Parkway (Alamo facility)

Accepted items include: all clothing, belts, blankets, curtains and drapes, gloves, hats, hand bags, paired shoes, sheets, towels, sneakers and stuffed animals. All items must be clean and dry. Worn, ripped, stained or damaged items will also be accepted.

Unaccepted items include: trash, furniture, carpets, rugs, toys, foam stuffing, diapers, mattresses, glass, metal, aluminum, and food waste.

Nearly all household textiles and clothing can be recycled, regardless of condition. Over 95 percent of recycled textiles are utilized in a variety of ways, including resale as secondhand clothing, recycled into fiber for various commercial uses, and reuse in the manufacture of new clothing using post-consumer garments.

Kathleen Tesnakis, President and Designer of Ekologic Clothing and Accessories, a local manufacturer of handmade clothing using recycled materials said, “Many consumers don’t realize that 85% of single use clothing is landfilled. Keeping garments out of local landfills and transforming them into useful items is a huge benefit to our community and the world around us. I hope that we can continue to develop even more effective ways to recycle our textiles, and congratulate Mayor Madden and Troy City Hall for their efforts to find solutions for this issue.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average US citizen throws away approximately 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles each year. In 2014, post-consumer textile waste (PCTW) accounted for over 9.5 percent of all municipal solid waste generated within the United States each year. The total volume of PCTW is expected to reach 35.4 billion pounds by 2019. By choosing to recycle textile items rather than throwing them away, residents can help divert thousands of pounds of waste from landfills and reduce costs for municipal solid waste disposal.

For up-to-date announcements from Troy City Hall, please visit www.troyny.gov/category/city-news/

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John Salka, Deputy Director of Public Information

[email protected] / (518) 279-7131

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