Not all drop-off bins are the same! 

Commercial companies typically repackage donations and sell in bulk to poorer countries, where unusable fabrics become their waste problem. Green Tree Textiles sends scrap fabric to rag and fiber manufacturers and donates usable items to charities and resells some items to for-profit companies to underwrite its recycling efforts. 

Green Tree:

• Sorts locally, at a warehouse in The Bronx

• Donates useable clothing to the needy

• Transfers items in poor condition to fiber recyclers and rag manufacturers

• Prevents textile material from entering the waste stream

ZWAT members researched extensively to identify the most environmentally responsible textile recycler in the area, and worked with the Village to get this bin installed. You can be confident that your items will be responsibly recycled in this green bin.

Accepted: 

Items can be ripped or damaged, stained, missing buttons, have broken zippers or be otherwise worn.

• All clothing: shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, suits, hats, belts, ties, gloves, scarves, socks (even single ones), undergarments

• Footwear: shoes, sandals, sneakers, cleats, boots, flip-flops, slippers

• Handbags, backpacks

• Household textiles: curtains, drapes, sheets, blankets, towels, table linens, throw rugs. 

Not Accepted: 

• Carpets, pillows, comforters, plastics. Contact area animal shelters to donate pillows and comforters. 

• Anything wet, moldy, musty, solvent-stained (e.g. gasoline-soaked), or smelly. 

• All items must be clean.

Green Tree separates donations into two categories: reuse (goes to Dress for Success type places as well as to the homeless); and recycle. 

The material that can be reused goes to for-profit and non-profit partners. Some of these organizations are listed on Green Tree's website.

Green Tree records how much material goes to recycling and how much for reuse. The data for total material is collected daily, but Green Tree does not record data per individual drop-off or individual reuse locations. 

All donations are tax deductible. Just scan the QR code on the bottom of the bin and you will be directed to web-based form to obtain your receipt.