MANHATTAN, IL – Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant greets the public at the annual textile drive event at the Will County Office Building, May 2-8.
“It’s a great opportunity to clean up and recycle old clothes and household items,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “You can declutter and reduce the environmental impact of those items sent to local landfills. It’s a win-win!”
A drop-off point will be located at the south end of the building’s parking lot. Residents are encouraged to drop off clean textile items, including clothing, shoes and household items. Items containing mold, mud or dirt will not be accepted.
The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 2-7 in the parking lot of the Will County Office Building at 302 N. Chicago St. in Joliet. On May 8, the event will open at 6 a.m. as part of a broadcast event with the WJOL 1340 AM Morning Show.
“The main purpose of this event is to educate the public that fabric items should not be sent to landfill,” said Will County Recycling Specialist Marta Keane. “Home textiles and clothing can be reused and distributed to those in need or recycled if they are not in good enough condition to be reused.”
Will County partners with Helping Hands, a local thrift store supplier and global reuse and recycling organization, to collect items for potential reuse or recycling. Helping Hands supplies thrift stores with second-hand clothing, preventing more than a million pounds of reusable goods from reaching landfills each year.
For more information about the textile collection event or the Will County Reuse Recovery and Energy division, go to www.willcountygreen.com.