Raleigh begins 3 year textile recycling pilot program

Raleigh City Council, at its Tuesday meeting, approved an agreement with Simple Recycling to provide free residential curbside collection of textiles.

The 3-year pilot program will provide residential solid waste customers the opportunity to recycle things like clothing, footwear, towels, bedding, and other fabric items on the same day as their curbside recycling.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 3.8 billion tons of textiles are recycled each year accounting for only 15 percent of all textile waste. That means 85 percent goes to local landfills. By providing this service at no cost to Raleigh residents, the city says it hopes to divert some of the waste away from its landfills.

The program is scheduled to begin in 2018. An announcement on the startup will be made on Raleigh's website and social media before it begins.