Thu August 9, 2012
By the Santa Monica Lookout Staff
Originally published August 9, 2012 at the Santa Monica Lookout
August 9, 2012 -- Santa Monica residents will have two opportunities to get rid of their old stuff without wasting it.
This month, the City will join forces with USAgain to give residents a chance to recycle their shoes, clothes and other textiles, while in September, residents will have a chance to make some cash off their household junk at the 3rd Annual Citywide Yard Sale.
On August 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., USAgain -- a Chicago-based textile recycling company -- will be collecting clothes, shoes and textiles at the City Yards at 2500 Michigan Avenue.
"We're thrilled to partner with Santa Monica to raise awareness about the need for increased textile recycling in the community," said Mattias Wallander, CEO of USAgain. "Textile recycling is a huge issue in this country."
According to the EPA, only 15 percent of Americans recycle or reuse the approximately 13.1 million tons of textiles discarded every year, Wallander said. The leaves 11.2 million tons of textiles "to be dumped in our nation's landfills."
Material collected by USAgain is sold wholesale to second hand shops, according to the company's web site.
For those who require a more monetary incentive to get rid of their clutter, on September 22 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Santa Monicans will be encouraged to hold yard sales in front of their homes all throughout the City.
Hosted by the City's Resource Recovery & Recycling Division, this "Fall Cleaning" event gives residents a chance to clear out their boxes and make some money while they're at it.
"Residents and local organizations are encouraged to sign up and enjoy the benefits of a catalog listing their featured items and a resource list of charitable organizations accepting donations," City officials said.
Sellers should register online at www.smgov.net/r3 before September 14th, officials said. Then, on September 22, sellers only need to set up shop outside their homes.
For those interested in buying, a map of registered sellers -- and what they will be selling -- will be available on the same site.
"After collecting a wad of cash from your treasures, survey what is leftover and determine what can be donated to local organizations using the Reuse Resource List available online," officials said.