The highway you drive to work on each day and the shingles on your roof may both have been the old beat-up shoes that you donated to the thrift store last year. That new environmentally safe insulation in your walls may have been those tight 80’s acid-washed jeans that you couldn’t give away. Dig out those shoulder pads, or that pretty blouse with the coffee stain you meant to turn into something when you stuck it in your attic; it could become yarn, or a bag of rags, or line a jewelry box.
For 18 years, Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA), with its five “Good Buy” Thrift Stores in, Brattleboro, Bellows Falls, Springfield, and White River Junction, has recycled the clothing that didn’t sell in those stores. But in November 2007, the non-profit anti-poverty agency purchased an industrial baler, opened a warehouse, and invited other organizations to send over their recycled clothes, in a greatly expanded commitment to reducing local landfill waste. Its location at the Hartford Recycling Center also allows SEVCA to redirect waste that would have been dumped there, and prepare it for recycling.
“Last year we recycled 210 tons of unsold shoes and clothing from 7 Vermont towns,” declared the Thrift Stores’ Upper Valley Supervising Manager Ellen Forkas. “Once we bale it, the bales are sold to a textile recycling wholesaler, who sorts it for reuse and reprocessing.” Items that are still in good condition are shipped to other countries for resale as affordable clothing for people who might otherwise not be adequately clothed. Other items are converted back into fiber textiles, yarn, rags, ticking, and other products. The proceeds from the sale of these recycled items help support SEVCA’s mission to assist local residents who are struggling with the hardships of poverty to meet their basic needs of housing, heating fuel and utilities, food, clothing, and furniture, and change their lives for the better.
Individuals can drop off their un-wearable, outdated, stained or ripped items at one of our four textile sheds, located in Cavendish, Plymouth, Rockingham, and Weathersfield, or at any one of our five thrift stores. The items collected at the textile sheds go directly into the baler and are not presorted. Items that you wish to donate that are still in good enough condition for resale should be dropped off at one of our thrift stores. We want to stress the importance of not putting resalable items in the textile sheds.
Southern District Manager Tonia White noted, “In the past, we didn’t have the capacity to take in damaged clothing or leftover rummage items. But we do now, so we invite everyone to call ahead and bring it to one of our 5 locations if you have a small quantity. If you have large quantities to donate please call Ellen directly at 802-359-4183. All we ask is that none of it is wet or moldy.” Items that you can bring to the textile sheds are: Clean and dry ripped, stained, out-of-fashion clothing, worn out shoes (please bag these separately from clothing), ripped and/or stained blankets, sheets, towels, curtains, mittens, gloves, purses, coats, socks, stuffed animals, and belts. If you have any questions please contact SEVCA at 1-800-464-9951.
Textile Sheds are Located at:
CAVENDISH Transfer Station and Recycling Facility
354 Route 131
Cavendish, VT 05142
Howard Merritt, Jr.
Wednesday – 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Saturday –8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.
Sunday – 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
802-226.7743 (TS) (party line)
802-226.7291 (TO) (Richard Svec, Town Manager)
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PLYMOUTH Drop-off and Recycling Center
68 Town Office Road
Plymouth, VT 05056
Art Lynds
ABLE Waste Management
Saturday – 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
802.672.3569 (W)
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ROCKINGHAM Transfer Station and Recycling Center
7446 Route 5
Westminster, VT 05158
Gary DeRosia
Wednesday - 8:00 a.m. to 1:00.p.m.
Saturday - 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
802-463.9219 (w)
802-463.4336 (TO)
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WEATHERSFIELD Transfer Station and Recycling Center
5024 Route 106
Perkinsville, VT 05151
Norm Abbott
Wes Hazeltine
Wednesday - 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday - 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday – 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Phone: 263.5651
