from the Town of Mamaroneck:
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average US resident discards over 100 pounds of clothing per year, with 85% of that ending up in landfills. Now, the Town of Mamaroneck is putting a dent in those statistics with a new curbside textile collection program.
The Town of Mamaroneck has announced a new partnership with Helpsy, a recycling service made available through Westchester County. Helpsy is a certified B corporation and public benefit corporation with a mission to keep clothes out of the trash. Last year, Helpsy kept 35 million pounds of textiles out of landfills. Thanks to the new home pickup program, unincorporated Town residents can leave unwanted clothing, footwear, accessories, and household textiles at the curbside for free pickup by Helpsy.
“This textile recycling program is a win for everyone,” said Mamaroneck Town Supervisor Jaine Elkind Eney. “It saves people time, it saves the Town money, and it’s better for the planet.”
To schedule a free pickup, recyclers can sign up here. Home pickup will be occurring on Tuesdays. Items intended for recycling should be clean, dry, and odorless. Helpsy asks that the items be left in clearly labeled plastic bags. They should boldly say “Helpsy” on them so that sanitation staff does not mistake the bags for trash. Bags intended for Helpsy pickup should not be put out near the trash. To help minimize emissions, Helpsy also requests that people request pickups when they have 3 or more bags of items ready to be recycled.
The program will accept the following items:
- Clothing: Tops (t-shirt, blouses, shirts, tank tops), Sweaters, Sweatshirts, Dresses, Outerwear (coats, jackets, blazers), Bottoms (pants, slacks, jeans, sweatpants, skirts, shorts), Suits, Socks, Pajamas, Slips, Bras, Underwear, Baby clothing
- Footwear: Shoes, Heels, Flats, Sandals, Flip Flops, Boots (work boots, dress boots, winter boots), Sneakers, Cleats, Slippers
- Accessories: Hats, Bags (pocketbooks, backpacks, duffle bags, totes), Belts, Glove, Ties, Scarves, Bathrobes, Jewelry
- Linens: Sheets/pillowcases, Blankets, Comforters, Curtains/Drapes, Aprons, Dish cloths, Cloth napkins, Table linens, Quilts
- Other: Luggage, Sports jerseys, Stuffed animals
To contact Helpsy directly, residents can visit Helpsy online at https://www.helpsy.com/, call Helpsy at (800) 244-6350, or email Helpsy at info@helpsy.co.
