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Going Green

National Recycling Day: How Will You Get Involved?

Take the pledge to figure out when, where and how to recycle in your community
Athena Snow

Tomorrow is national recycling day in America, organized by Keep America Beautiful. There are so many ways to get involved, from official events being hosted across the country to creating your own way of participating.

Looking for ways to celebrate and participate? Think about this….

Did you know that only 15 percent of textile waste is recycled and nearly 100 percent of clothing can be recycled? I would have thought that number would have been much higher since we have so many easy ways to drop off our used clothing so they don’t end up in the landfill. Why not designate a spot in your closet to store clothes that don’t fit or have hung on the shelf for more than a season without wear. When that pile gets big enough, drop it off at a nearby clothing recycling bin or your local thrift shop.

Most of us are forced to constantly monitor our closet space because our homes never seem to have enough room for all our goodies. Think about hosting a neighborhood clothing swap party if the pile idea doesn’t suite your fancy. You could promote it on Nextdoor and meet some of your neighbors. You could even theme it around all the outgrown kid clothes you have piling up and little Jonny and Suzie might meet a new friend too. However, here are some homes that don’t seem to have a closet issue. A girl can always dream, right?

Even if you think clothing items can’t be resold, don’t toss it in the garbage, add it to the donation pile. When you think that shirt or pair of jeans is ruined because it either shrunk in the wash or you spilled wine all over it, don’t be so quick to toss. Clothing can be broken down and used for cleaning rags, carpet padding, rubberized playgrounds and insulation. The EPA estimates that the average person throws away 70 pounds of clothing per year. That adds up to 3.8 billion pounds of unnecessary waste added to landfills.  I know we can reduce this number if we all pitch in so why not start tomorrow and join the movement.

donating clothes national recycle day national recycling day recycle recycling
Athena Snow
Athena Snow

Senior Manager, Public Relations & Giving for Coldwell Banker. Grew up in Sarasota and attended college at Western Carolina University. Athena wanted to wake up in that city that doesn’t sleep so headed to Madison Avenue to start her marketing career. She has been with this awesome brand for more than 15 years and can be found generating buzz about CB in every way possible. Athena helps to grow the brand’s position as the most storied real estate company within the industry and has led many high-profile endeavors; she was at the forefront of the brand’s pioneering smart home campaign, raised $6 million in two years to build 130 Habitat for Humanity homes, and led the Homes for Dogs program in partnership with Adopt-a-Pet.com that resulted in tens-of-thousands of dogs finding their furever home. She currently leads the CB Supports St. Jude program, which encourages the Coldwell Banker network’s 96,000+ real estate agents to make donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for every real estate transaction they represent. In her spare time, you can find her either digging up a new area in her yard for another flower bed or planning her next travel adventure. She's the proud mom of three cats Jolene, Ziggy and Lucy.

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