Approved by curator
Added: Aug 13, 2021
Last edited: Oct 04, 2022
Green Tree Textiles is a recycling collection service currently operating in New York and New Jersey. At their various GREEN Box locations they accept clothing, shoes, accessories, household linens, and other textiles that would otherwise end up in landfills or incinerators. With its mission to preserve the environment and support individuals who are disadvantaged or in transition, the organization repurposes clothing and textiles for re-use by those in need or by environmentally-minded manufacturers and designers.
According to Green Tree, the average American discards approximately 68 pounds of textiles yearly, with 85% ending up in landfills. As discarded textiles decompose, they release methane and other harmful substances into the environment where they can degrade ecosystems and come into contact with humans, animals, and other living entities. The organization also notes that most communities in the U.S. do not have textile recycling programs. Green Tree aims to fill these service gaps by providing multiple drop-off/collection sites across New York and New Jersey, so that used and unwanted textiles may be redistributed to people, designers, and manufacturers for re-use.
Green Tree has built a network of GREEN Box drop-off sites at which unwanted clothing and textile items can be deposited. These items are then sorted at a warehouse in the Bronx, New York. Gently-used clothing is sent to Green Tree's local and overseas charity partners, while goods in poor condition are sold to fibers and rags manufacturers. The materials collected are kept out of the waste stream and are not shipped to overseas landfills. Additionally, Green Tree partners with Down to Earth farmers markets to make its recycling services more accessible to New Yorkers on weekends.
Currently, there are 23 GREEN Box locations across New York and New Jersey, as well as temporary services at select Down to Earth farmers markets, which can be found on the organization's website.
textile waste management
landfill diversion
Clothing collection
textile recycling
clothing drop-off
collection services
textile collection
distribution