You Can't Trash Those Textiles - Editorial
Winter is coming. And if you haven’t already done it, it’s time to break out the cold-weather clothes. All those sweaters, corduroys, woolly coats, hats and mittens that you probably haven’t given a thought to since April.
Chances are, some of these items have seen better days. Maybe they are stained or stretched out. Others might be worn through or torn. Some don’t fit anymore and others may just be hopelessly out of style.
So let the culling begin. The “out-with-the-old” process can be cathartic. If it doesn’t spark joy, as Marie Kondo says, toss it. But be careful not to toss it into the garbage can because starting this week, it’s a state code violation to send textiles out with the trash. Mattresses, too.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has added textiles and mattresses to its disposal ban effective November 1, meaning they are no longer allowed in landfills.
This may have come as a shock to many residents across the commonwealth, but here in Bourne it is business as usual, since the town has been recycling both textiles and mattresses for years.
The ultimate goal of the ban is to reduce the amount of waste deposited in the constantly shrinking space still available in landfills or burned in waste combustion facilities. It is a smart move, and it’s something on which Bourne has been ahead of the curve for years.
We checked in with Phil Goddard, manager of facility compliance & technology development at the Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility in Bourne, to see what the new statewide ban means for Bourne recycling. His message was short and to the point: “Nothing here has changed.”
Mr. Goddard said the recycling of mattresses and textiles—which is an umbrella term that can apply to anything from clothing and linens to stuffed animals, bathrobes and footwear—will be business as usual for Bourne residents. The ban, he explained, simply codifies a practice that Bourne has been following for years.
This is how things have been for a while, he said. For years, residents have utilized the various textile drop-off boxes around Bourne, including three at the recycling center on MacArthur Boulevard and one at each school building. The drop-off boxes are organized by the Bourne PTA and Bay State Textiles, the collection company.
Bourne has been a leader in the recycling industry, becoming the first regional center for drop-off mattress recycling in 2016 with the help of a Mass DEP grant. The grant assisted Bourne for the next three years, but the program continued even after the grant money was gone, Mr. Goddard said. As of 2021, ISWM has diverted more than 22,000 mattresses that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.
According to an analysis of trash statewide, Massachusetts residents and businesses toss out about 230,000 tons of used clothing, footwear, linens and other textile products every year, even though nearly 95 percent of it could be reused or recycled.
Massachusetts residents recycle only a fraction of reusable textiles. And by “recycle” we mean “donate.” So rather than donate these goods to someone who could actually use them, many have just been throwing them away. What a shame.
Textiles that are now required to be recycled include pants, shirts, skirts, dresses, jackets, pajamas, doggie beds, hats, gloves, shoes, blankets, sheets and pillowcases.
It’s not difficult to recycle any of these items. Clothes donations can be made at any of the self-serve donation bins at Bourne’s schools or at ISWM’s Recycling Center, where drop-off boxes are provided by the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Planet Aid. And we haven’t even yet mentioned the possibility of dropping off donations directly at a private business, such as one of the local thrift stores or swap shops.
Once in the recycling stream, the items are sorted for reuse if still in good shape; repurposing if they can’t be worn; and if the items are unusable at all, then they are sent to the landfill.
Many of the reusable donations go overseas to communities in the Congo, where the need is high. Others stay closer to home and go to a variety of places, including homeless shelters.
Also, the Bourne-Sandwich Lions Club is collecting gently used coats for children and adults. All sizes are needed. They can be dropped off at the Sandwich Council on Aging on Quaker Meetinghouse Road, Stop & Shop stores on Quaker Meetinghouse Road and Route 6A, Rockland Trust on Cotuit Road and Eastern Bank on Route 6A. All of these coats are cleaned and distributed locally.
Getting rid of mattresses presents a bulkier problem, but one not new to Bourne residents thanks to ISWM’s continued acceptance and recycling of discarded mattresses that are in good shape. ISWM’s 2022 brochure says that for a mere $20 bulky items fee, ISWM will accept and recycle mattresses that aren’t moldy, wet or in otherwise adverse condition.
Mr. Goddard said he’s already gotten questions from residents about what the statewide ban could mean for Bourne residents’ abilities to dispose of mattresses and textiles. But the answer to those questions is simple: “Nothing has changed,” he said. “Just do what you’ve been doing; we manage them and we recycle them. The ban is effectively just codifying what we’ve been doing anyway, which is diverting this material.”
For many Bourne residents, none of this information will come as a shock. Many already utilize the town’s various clothing drop-off boxes for textiles and have been privy to ISWM’s mattress policy since its inception in 2016. But for some who aren’t as informed on recycling options, we hope that the statewide ban on trashing good textiles will help guide nonrecyclers to a better, greener option for disposing of old clothes, linens or any other textile.
For other options, visit the state’s website at www.mass.gov/info-details/how-where-to-recycle. To learn more about what Bourne offers for recycling options, visit www.townofbourne.com/integrated-solid-waste-management. ISWM’s full residential recycling policy is available for viewing on its website, on the left hand menu titled “2022 Residential Recycling Policy.” An update on the DEP Mattress Waste Ban Update can be found on the right hand side of the page, under “News and Announcements.”
This textile ban is one of many trash restrictions heading our way as part of the state’s Solid Waste Master Plan. The plan has set a goal of reducing the amount of stuff we throw away statewide by 30 percent by 2030. It sets a long-term goal of achieving a 90 percent reduction in disposal by 2050.
By and large, we, as a society, enjoy a throwaway culture and that needs to stop, whether we like it or not. And if we’re not going to curb our trash habit ourselves, others—like the state DEP—will force our hand.