Planet Aid and Rider University’s Textile Recycling Program Helps the Environment, Charities Too

Rider University and Planet Aid, Inc. recently joined forces to recycle textiles. Planet Aid is now authorized to set up donation bins (large yellow metal collection bins) outside residence halls/ houses for the end of the year move out. Students, faculty and staff who have textiles to be recycled can put them in a plastic bag and place them in the bin nearest them. This convenient service will therefore reduce the amount of textiles entering the waste stream saving on solid waste disposal, aiding charitable works and helping the environment too.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), today only 20% of textile waste is recycled. 80% still ends up in the landfill or incinerator contributing to pollution and global warming. The EPA also states that each person on average contributes 65 pounds of textile waste per year into the waste stream.

Utilizing these numbers, Rider University with a residency of around 2,500 students generates approximately 162,000 pounds of textile waste per year. With around 8 million people living in New Jersey, approximately 520 million pounds of textiles enter New Jersey’s waste stream every year.

Planet Aid is a nonprofit organization that raises funds through textile recycling. Reusable clothes, shoes, other textiles, small toys and books are sold for reuse, the proceeds of which fund charitable projects in underprivileged nations around the world.

Charitable works include:  

• Emergency relief - serving victims of hunger, war, natural disasters and other catastrophes.
• Relocating people or rebuilding areas hit by disasters.
• Undertaking development projects such as schools, clinics, mini-banking and small scale industry among others.

Planet Aid’s efforts help the environment too. In 2006, the latest year available, 72 million pounds of clothes were rescued and CO² emissions from textile factories were reduced; the equivalent of keeping over 16,000 cars off the roads for a year! Also in 2006, by not having to grow cotton to manufacture clothes, Planet Aid saved 74 billion gallons of water. Planet Aid has created more than 19,000 jobs, and saved American taxpayers $2.4 million in solid waste disposal as well.

If you have any questions, please contact Heather Brisby at x5247. Thanks for your support of this effort at Rider University!