Emmet County residents who are trying to downsize their wardrobes are being told to keep their items in the closet. County recycling officials say they no longer accept textiles for the recycling program because they’re no longer made with high-quality substances. Clothing, shoes, belts, purses...any textile... is off limits.
Typically, recycled clothes and shoes are turned into other items—but since these items are so cheaply made—processors can no longer make them into something new.
Emmet County Recycling’s Communications and Education Coordinator, Noelle Behling, says the textile recycling program may return one day soon.
“If textiles are brought to our facility, they are considered a landfill item, but there is a possibility of a partnership for textile recycling in the near future. So we're very excited about that.”
Behling says people could avoid filling the landfills with clothing by hosting a clothing swap, learning how to repair their own items or consider buying clothing with higher quality materials.
