Harrisburg, Pa. — In another call for environmental sustainability, DEP is asking Pennsylvania residents to recycle unwanted, gently-used household items and consider thrift shopping their clothing.
According to DEP estimates, about 10 percent of municipal waste (~500,000 tons) is made of textiles, furniture, and other household goods.
“Pennsylvanians have opportunity around them to curb pollution, and they can start by looking in their closets and around their homes,” said Acting DEP Secretary Ramez Ziadeh.
“The potential for recovering much of this waste for recycling/reuse is great,” said DEP Manager of Division of Waste Minimization and Planning Lawrence Holley.
Resources exist to help Pennsylvanians who are looking for direction on how to properly recycle their items, including the Circular Merchant web platform and app, which was developed by the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center.
Through the website and app, residents, businesses, and public officials can post recycled items and materials for other people to browse and buy. Photos of items can be uploaded easily from a smartphone and built-in mapping helps locate pick-up and sending locations. Emails are automatically sent to notify interested parties of postings.
With the intent of finding real-time solutions for recycled materials and items, the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center (PRMC), with funding from DEP, launched the Circular Merchant platform.
“We are now able to benefit from use of Circular Merchant, especially at a time when our economy favors reuse and recycling of goods and materials,” said PRMC President and CEO Robert Bylone, Jr.
DEP is also reminding Pennsylvanians that secondhand retailers are a good source for household goods and clothing.
In Harrisburg, secondhand retailers NEON Vintage & Thrifts, Stash Vintage, and The Midtown Dandy offer the following advice to Pennsylvanians who want to support secondhand retailing:
"My favorite part about being a secondhand curator is showing people how much can be found at the thrift store,” said Alana Cornish, owner of NEON Vintage & Thrifts. “The thrift store, for some, can be overwhelming and intimidating to shop with aisles upon aisles of merchandise, but if you go in with a plan, it can cut down on much of the anxiety.”
“A good starting place when buying secondhand clothing is, to begin with, the basics—having basics in your wardrobe maximizes flexibility when putting together an outfit. Plus, essential items such as jeans, blue or black trousers, and white button-down shirts may be of better quality depending on the date and era of the garment. Typically, the older the date, i.e., ‘vintage,’ are better quality than big box stores selling fast fashion. A good motto to remember is: ‘if it's from the past, it will last,’ which cuts down on clothing going to landfills," Cornish said.
“Secondhand/vintage shopping is a very environmentally-conscious way to make an impact with your dollars. First off, it keeps discarded clothing out of landfills,” said Andrew Kintzi, owner of The Midtown Dandy. “By shopping secondhand, you keep these clothing items in the cycle.”
“Mending/repairing is another way to keep your clothing around longer. Adding a patch or mending a torn seam or hole adds a ‘battle scar’ to your piece, carrying memories along with it. One thing to keep in mind regarding donation - if you donate damaged or stained clothing, the charities will likely just dispose of it. If you can mend/repair clothing, it has a better chance of lasting longer. Tailors/seamstresses are a very inexpensive way to keep your clothing looking great and lasting longer and can also be used as a way to keep your clothing longer if you grow out of them!” Kintzi said.
“Vintage clothing by and large is usually constructed better and tends to last longer. A piece that has been around since, say, the 1970s has obviously stood the test of time and will last for years to come, where as a modern, fast-fashion piece may last a couple wears before it begins to fall apart, resulting in its quick disposal,” Kintzi said.
