Waste Reduction Education supports a greener Greenwich

The Greenwich Recycling Advisory Board (GRAB) joins hands with the town of Greenwich to announce a new textile recycling program. This initiative is a part of their border commitment to sustainability and waste reduction in Greenwich. Selectman Fred Camillo declared that the new partnership with GRAB will facilitate them to add the recycling of textiles to their expanding list of materials that avoid landfills. They believe that these collaborations will reduce waste in town, increase recycling and add revenue to promote a greener Greenwich.

GRAB has partnered with Fairco Greentree Recycling which is a Fairfield based for-profit enterprise that provides no-cost, environmentally friendly textile collection services to re-allocate textiles to those in need. Over the past couple of years, Fairco Greentree has partnered with the Greenwich High School clubs and the Greenwich Rotary Club in their efforts to raise funds. A portion of the funds is to be donated to GARB towards education and community outreach on recycling and other waste diversion strategies. James Clemente of Fairco-Greentree stated that they are excited to work with GRAB and the Town of Greenwich. He believes that they are a part of a new trend in the business which aims to support the employment of workers to keep textiles in circularity and provide shoes and clothes to people in need through the secondary marketplace.

The bins for collection are now open for residents to give away clothing, shoes, accessories, towels and bedding of any condition in convenient locations around town. Stuffed animals, rugs and pillows are the only articles that will not be accepted. The residents are encouraged to discard dry and odorless textiles.

The main aim of the program aims to re-stream from waste to conserve natural resources, prevent pollution, create jobs and reduce the volume of waste. Due to the pandemic, many donation sites are currently closed and there has been a rise in demand for entities that accept textiles and the program wishes to fill this need. Julie DesChamps, a member of GRAB stated that in the US, 85% of the textiles are tossed in the garbage but nearly all can be reused and recycled as secondhand clothing, rags and even building materials. She believes no textile should be trashed given that they all can be reused or recycled as secondary clothing. The partnership with Fairco-Greentree facilitates residents to approach a more sustainable option to divert their valuable material from the municipal waste stream and provide benefits to their community and the environment.