Textile Drives for Earth Week in the Berkshires & Pioneer Valley

Last year nearly 100 schools participated in the oneShirt National Clothing Challenge, collecting over 16 tons of recycled textiles!

What does your family do with outgrown clothes when they’ve already been handed down as many times as possible?  How about participating in a textile drive!

Center for EcoTechnology will be partnering with Goodwill in Pittsfield on Saturday, April 14th for a textile donation drive! Families can also bring documents for shredding, courtesy of Valley Green Shredding, and donate computer and small household appliances. Goodwill is located at 158 Tyler Street and the event will run from 10am-2pm.

Then for Earth Week, Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield is hosting a used clothing drive the week of April 16- 20!  Sponsored by SustainU, a Pittsfield company producing 100% recycled t-shirts, the drive will be taking place on college campuses around the country.  As part of the oneShirt National Clothing Challenge, schools will be competing against each other to collect the largest amount (in terms of weight) of used clothing.  During last year’s drive, over 16 tons of clothes were collected!  Clothes donated will be kept out of landfills and donated to organizations who use recycled clothing sales to provide people with valuable work experience (such as Goodwill).

Donating clothing is a way to de-clutter your closets in a way that is environmentally friendly, and it can teach kids about disposing of unwanted items responsibly.  Clothes can be dropped off at Berkshire Community College’s Susan B. Anthony Lounge or at Goodwill Industries at 158 Tyler Street in Pittsfield (bags must be marked BCC Clothing Drive) between April 16th and 20th.  For more information, contact the BCC Student Life Office at 413-236-1660.

And the week will conclude with a textile drive to benefit the Amherst Survival Center and the Fisher Home Hospice Shop at the 3rd Annual Amherst Sustainability Festival in Amherst on Saturday, April 21st from 10am-4pm.

[Photo credit: (ccl) Nick Zadrozny]