Used Clothing Recovery & Reuse Industry

Eric Stubin Trans-Americas Textile Recycling Inc. Vice President, SMART Chair, Council for Textile Recycling

Definitions PCTW: Post Consumer Textile Waste : USED CLOTHING, USED FOOTWEAR or USED HOUSEHOLD TEXTILES Donated or recycled at end of life. Can include apparel, footwear and accessories and household textiles No relation to Pre Consumer / Post Industrial Waste (which fibers converters recycle) or Excess Inventories which fall under Reverse Logistics Secondhand Industry: Charities, Secondhand Clothing Recyclers, Fiber Recyclers and Wiper Manufactures. SMART - Trade Association CTR- Advocacy and educational NON PROFIT 501 C(3) SMART does note include the charitable industry. 9/21/2018

Use of the Term “Recycling” Within the Textiles Industries The industry tends to use the words recycled and reused interchangeably.    The clothing that is sold in charity thrift store and sold to developing nations would be considered “reuse”   The textiles that are turned into wiping rags and the textiles that are ground up into fiber would  be considered recycled.    

Why are textiles important to Washington’s Municipal Recycling Efforts?

EPA & WASHINGTON STATE HAVE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM 5% OF WASHINGTON STATE’S DISPOSED MSW IS POST CONSUMER TEXTILE WASTE. 200,000 TONS [2013 : MSW of 4.3 Million Tons Annual Solid Waste in Washington State Status Report ] Estimated $18 MILLION IN TIPPING FEES

Nationally numbers are equally concerning 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

Secondhand Industry equipped to deal with real world issues… LARGE SCALE REVERSE SUPPLY CHAIN INDUSTRY EXISTS IN US. Consisting of both private sector and charitable options. USA recycles 3.8 Billion lbs annually of PCTW. US E.P.A. MANY STORES HAVE BINS/ WIDGET TO FIND CLOSEST GOODWILL 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

The Original Green Industry Our mission in the US remains constant…to recycle the vast quantities of PCTW that our society continues to generate For more than a century in US/ EU the secondhand industry as been recycling apparel, footwear, household and accessories…Recycling before it was in vogue… 9/21/2018

Secondhand Clothing & footwear industry . Reuse & recycling Secondhand Clothing & footwear industry 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

INDEPTH – PCTW RECYCLING FACILITIES… Textile recycling facilities engage in labor intensive sorting, separating, and recycling of apparel, footwear, household textiles and accessories. 9/21/2018

Larger processors may handle more Most Efficient facilities can process between 35-50 tons per day of PCTW = 140,000-200,000 units DAILY Larger processors may handle more 9/21/2018

Post Consumer Textile Waste 9/21/2018

Labor Intensive: 1 Ton of PCTW requires 2 days of semi skilled labor Clothing on main sorting line Efficient Material Handling 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

PCTW REUSED & RECYCLED FIBER: WIPER: USED CLOTHING: Clothing that is converted into RECYCLED fibers and used in green products: Denim Insulation, Carpet Padding, Automotive Sound Dampening, Recycled Textiles with % of PCTW, Recycled Wool and Synthetic Fibers. WIPER: RECYCLED clothing cut and converted into wiping rags and used in homes and as industrial absorbents, paint, petrol industry, spill control. USED CLOTHING: REUSED/ REPURPOSED and Exported to the developing world where 2/3 of the population lives on less than $2 per day. Industry provides affordable clothing to the developing world. About ½ of all wiper sale are from reclaimed fibers 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

Recycled Fiber Denim Fiber Fiber Recycler 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

Sweatshirts Recycled into RECLAIMED WIPERS Reclaimed wiper sales are approx. 40-60% of all sales. 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

USED CLOTHING Loaded into containers bound for the developing world Used Clothing Baled for Export Loaded into containers bound for the developing world 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

Clothing sold to market wholesalers in Haiti 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

PCTW % REUSED & RECYCLED What is items comprise the 5% waste segment? 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

Why Recycle Textiles? “The EPA estimates that between 1999 & 2011 the amount of textiles in our landfills grew by 22% from 9.1 Million Tons to 11.1 Million Tons. Yet textile diversion only grew by 2.4%, from 12.9% to 15.3%.”* Source: EPA report on Municipal Solid Waste Facts and Figures 2011

Can Textiles Be Recycled? Yes! Can Textiles Be Recycled? Oldest form of recycling Annually… Average person discards 70 lbs of clothing SMART/charities divert 4 billion lbs. of waste SMART is reducing the world’s carbon footprint Only 15% of textiles currently being diverted Remember – Donate, Recycle, Don’t Throw Away!

Textile Recycling Drives Economy Revenue stream for recycling agencies Creates jobs Funds charitable initiatives Promotes small business Encourages recycled product development Provides affordable clothing opportunity

Can Businesses Recycle Textiles? Yes! Can Businesses Recycle Textiles? Healthcare facilities Hotels and hospitality facilities Textile & paper mills/manufacturers Cut and sew plants Textile dye facilities Retail stores Government agencies Recycling textiles is EVERYONE’S business!

SMART’s Vision SMART is the leading industry voice promoting high standards and best practices for reducing solid waste by recycling textiles and related secondary materials. Our members collect, reclaim, and “close the loop” by processing, converting, and distributing these recyclables.

What do SMART Companies Do? Pre-consumer market Acquire byproduct from textile/fiber companies Repurpose material for consumer products Wiping cloths, insulation, home furnishings… Post-consumer market Acquire textiles from charity & commercial lines Once graded, clothing is recycled Some members collect used clothing and textiles using textile recycling bins

SMART’s Goals Increase awareness of need to recycle textiles Increase supply of textiles in marketplace Decrease the amount of clothing and textiles in landfills Offer help and expertise to government in developing programs to promote textile recycling and help find recycling company partners Reduce cost to municipalities by reducing tipping fees associated with textile waste disposal Capture remaining 85% of textiles that are not being recycled – Donate, Recycle, Don’t Throw Away. Educate students about textile recycling through Recycling Rangers program for grades K-5

Recent SMART Initiatives - Education Lesson Plans for Elementary Students - Grade Appropriate for students Grades K-5 - Available free from Education Center website - SMART’s Goal - reach 1 million students by 2015 Recycling Rangers Program launched November 2013 - partner with teachers to host clothing drives in schools.

Recent SMART Initiatives - Communication Television PSA - Community Recycling of Clothing and Textiles - 60: second spot Radio PSAs - 4 versions, 30:seconds each - Scripts include: Back-to-School; Earth Day; Spring Cleaning; End-of-the-Semester Info graphics to help tell story about textile recycling and benefits to environment Online Buyers Guide

State & Local Real World Solutions - PCTW 9/21/2018

WORN OR TORN CLOTHING MUST BE DONATED OR RECYCLED. 9/21/2018

GET STARTED COLLECTING TEXTILES 9/21/2018

We have a cultural model in Europe to aspire towards. Unfortunately the USA lags behind the EU in terms of textile recycling. Although many U.S Cities and local municipalities also incorporate textiles into their recycling programs few mandate that textiles are recycled by ordinance. We have a cultural model in Europe to aspire towards. NJ has only 5 9/21/2018

www.weardonaterecycle.org 9/21/2018

The industry’s only vetted search tool 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

Brands and Retailers already engaged in Reuse & Recycling Patagonia GAP Burberry, EU NIKE Marks & Spencer, UK Eileen Fisher H&M LEVIS Brooks New Balance 9/21/2018

LEVI’S FIRST MOVERS ON WIDE SCALE REUSE & RECYCLING …others… MANY STORES HAVE BINS/ WIDGET TO FIND CLOSEST GOODWILL 9/21/2018

EACH STAKEHOLDER SHARES COMMON GROUND … EACH STAKEHOLDER SHARES COMMON GROUND ….WHERE WE CAN COLLECTIVELY IMPACT THE GLOBAL ISSUE OF PCTW….. Apparel & Footwear Industry Municipalities Private Sector Recyclers 1) Increase awareness through a generic platform of “Donate/ Recycle” 2) Foster an environment where member companies can find one another to divert pctw away from our global landfills. Academics CTR Consumers Charities Green – Producers of pctw Blue – Solution Providers 9/21/2018

CTR’s URL under care instructions that will distinguish their clients as leaders in Reuse and Recycling MANY STORES HAVE BINS/ WIDGET TO FIND CLOSEST GOODWILL 9/21/2018

Assistance & future trends www.smartasn.org 9/21/2018

Resources 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling CTR www.weardonaterecycle.org SMART – trade association. Secondhand Materials & Recycled Textiles Association www.smartasn.org BOOKS: Pietra Rivoli, The Travels of T-Shirt in the Global Economy, ISBN# 978-0-470-28716-3 Karen Tranberg Hansen, The World of Secondhand Clothing and Zambia, ISBN# 0-226-31581-9 9/21/2018 Council for Textile Recycling

SMART Online Buyers Guide Listing of SMART Members on www. smartasn SMART Online Buyers Guide Listing of SMART Members on www.smartasn.org Searchable by Product Category, Region Available to Public

Recent SMART Initiatives - Legislative Clothing Collection Bins in the Community - Clothing Collection Bin Operator Code of Conduct - Draft Ordinance Language - Bin Position Paper - Development of Bin Committee of SMART members to work on proactive efforts in cities and towns - Bin Training Day at SMART Annual Convention in March 2014 to help members work with regulators and legislators

ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CITIES, TOWNS, STATES TO ENCOURAGE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEXTILE RECYCLING CAMPAIGNS North East Recycling Council (NERC) meeting in April 2013 New Hampshire Textile Diversion Training- August 2013 Michigan Recycling Association Meeting in May 2013 Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Webinar, December 2013 New Jersey Waste Wise Meeting in May 2013 NYSAR3 (New York State Recycling Organization) – Ongoing support of 2014 Textile Recycling Campaign Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA)- June 2013 Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) presentation – January 2014 Connecticut DEEP- Textile Reuse and Recycling Panel Discussion - June 2013 Washington State Recycling Association- King County (Seattle WA) LinkUp Meeting – April 2013 March 2014 Maine Recycling Association – April 2014 SMART exhibited at ICMA (International City County Managers Association) in September 2013 to help educate cities and towns about reasonable regulation of Clothing Collection Bins.

How Can You Help? Provide convenient collection points Promote textile recycling days - Earth Day (Tuesday, April 22, 2014) - America Recycles Day (Saturday, November 15, 2014) - End-of-the-Semester (partner with local colleges) Include textile recycling in all public relations and promotion efforts supporting recycling programs Help educate the recycling public about textile recycling Encourage public agencies to use products made from recycled textiles

SMART Members Serving WA State Buffalo Export LLC Buffalo Industries LLC Gemtext Recycling Savers Recycling So Ex West (I:CO) USAgain Whitehouse & Schapiro

International Textile Recycling Summit June 2, 2014 Miami, FL SMART Co-Sponsored Event with Bureau of International Recycling (BIR)Textiles Division and Council for Textile Recycling

JOIN CTR TODAY: FREE TO MUNICIPAL & GOVERNMENT ENTITIES One step I hope we take after 40 Power Point Slides and the attention of some of Washington’s Greenest officials, munis, and citizens …. JOIN CTR TODAY: FREE TO MUNICIPAL & GOVERNMENT ENTITIES www.weardonaterecycle.org Start an ongoing dialogue between STATE OF WASHINGTON / CTR & SMART. 9/21/2018

Contact SMART Jackie King, Executive Director Additional Questions? Eric Stubin e.stubin@tranclo.com Contact SMART Jackie King, Executive Director 443-640-1050 x105 jackie@kingmgmt.org www.SMARTasn.org Thank you!

FAQs cont’d IF WORKING WITH AN END USER WHAT IS PCTW WASTE WORTH? $100 TON FLOOR PRICE / MARKET PRICE CHARITIES & RECYCLERS? SMART advocates for complete transparency and legislation via Bin Policy. Work with reputable charities. Consumer should conduct due diligence on charities and private sector partners: recommend utilizing www.chairtywatch.org or www.charitynavigator.org Private enterprise plays a major role in ALL recycling industries WHAT IS THE STATE OF MUNICIPAL RECYLCING IN THE US TODAY? 9/21/2018