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Read the press release here.

Clothing-Recycling Events to Coincide with Fashion Week

By Tuan Nguyen | September 7, 2011 9:13pm
A Naeem Khan runway show during February 2011's Fashion Week. The environmental group GrowNYC is holding clothing-recycling events timed to coincide with Fashion Week.
A Naeem Khan runway show during February 2011's Fashion Week. The environmental group GrowNYC is holding clothing-recycling events timed to coincide with Fashion Week.
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Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

MANHATTAN — With Fashion Week about to unleash all the hottest new styles on the runway, an environmental group announced plans Wednesday to collect and recycle old clothing from New Yorkers with the aim of reducing textile waste

GrowNYC is organizing one-day collection events in Manhattan from September to October in order collect items like old clothing, towels and shoes.

The first event will be held in Lincoln Center's Tucker Square Greenmarket on Sep. 10. The next two will take place at the Tribeca Greenmarket on Greenwich Street between Chambers and Duane streets on Sep 17 and 24. The final collection will take place at the Abingdon Square Greenmarket on Oct. 15.

The group estimated that each year New Yorker throw away nearly 50 pounds of old clothing, adding up almost 360 million pounds citywide.

The recycled materials are sorted into different categories, including usable and non-usable items, scrap and synthetics. The items are then sold for reuse or to recycling markets that repurpose the items, according to GrowNYC.

Since starting a pilot program in Union Square in 2007, GrowNYC has expanded the program to  eight weekly collection spots around the city.

“New Yorkers have responded overwhelmingly, as over 63,000 New Yorkers have contributed to the 1.1 million pounds of textiles that have collected to date. Enough to fill 24 subway cars!" GrowNYC executive director Marcel Van Ooyen said in a statement. 

 

 

“Given the enormous volume of textiles that residents dispose of each year in NYC, GrowNYC wanted to provide a convenient alternative,” he added.