Textile Recycling Program

Simple Recycling Textile Recycling

The Village of Glencoe has partnered with Simple Recycling, a recycling company partnering with WasteZero, to bring a curbside textile recycling program to its residents. This service provides a convenient and free option for diverting textiles from the landfill. Learn how to participate in this program on the Village's Recycling Page. 

The Village curbside textile recycling program was recommended to the Village of Glencoe Board of Trustees for the Sustainability Task Force in 2020. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that only 15 percent of textiles have been recycled or donated in 2017 and the average American throws out 70 pounds of textiles per year. The Village of Glencoe, with many other communities on the Northshore, has teamed up with WasteZero, a certified B Corp, to provide this program through Simple Recycling. The program is relatively unique in providing an ongoing curbside pickup program and accepting “unusable” textiles that many donation programs will not accept, such as torn clothing as well as unwanted towels and bedding.

The program aims to divert over 93,000 pounds of textiles from the landfill each year from Glencoe residents alone-which is only one-fourth of the textile waste that residents generate. Roughly 10 to 20 percent of these textiles are resold in domestic markets while 50 percent are recycled in cleaning rags or insulation. The remaining 30 to 40 percent of textiles are sent to overseas markets.

While Simple Recycling is a for-profit company, the Village does not discourage residents from donating clothing to non-profits and plans to continue to partner with the Epilepsy Foundation for the Sustainability Task Force Donate and Recycle Drop-Off Event for the collection of clothing and other household goods. The Village does not profit from this program nor does it or nor do its residents pay for this service. The Village partners and promotes this program because it is committed to diverting recyclable materials from the landfill and reducing carbon emissions through recycling.

Have more questions? Visit Simple Recycling FAQs.