WM and Goodwill are excited to offer a convenient textile recycling solution at no cost for residential customers in the City of Troutdale: The WM ReTRN (Recovering Textiles Right Now) Program. Set out clothes, linens and towels, including items that are ripped, torn or stained on designated collection days.
Each year, the average American throws away roughly 80 pounds of textiles - worn out clothes and linens. The result is 17 million tons of textiles headed to the landfill. What if there was a better solution? Introducing the WM ReTRN Textiles Pilot, helping Troutdale Reduce, Reuse, Re-fiber.
Did you know old denim jeans can become speaker insulation? Old pillows can even be turned into new dog beds!
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Materials collected
- Clothing, socks, fabric, curtains, towels, bedding, pillows, scarves.
- Items can be new, gently-used, well-used, torn, ripped or stained.
- Items should be free of chemicals, mold or other hazardous materials
Materials should not include
- Clothes soiled or stained with chemicals, mold or other hazardous materials.
- Shoes, accessories (hats, gloves, belts, etc.), or mattresses.
- Garbage, yard and food waste or recycling.
FAQs
What's the purpose of the WM ReTRN pilot?
In three words: Reduce. Reuse. Re-fiber.
- Reduce: The pilot will reduce the amount of textiles going to landfills as well as the amount exported to other countries where materials may not be managed responsibly.
- Reuse: Textiles in suitable condition will be reused and sold by Goodwill. Textiles that are ripped, torn or stained will be reused by WM Textile recycling facilities.
- Re-fiber: Well-used, ripped, torn or stained textiles will be processed at a WM textile recycling facility for use in future applications like new apparel, roof insulation and other uses. Old denim jeans could become speaker insulation! Old pillows might turn into new dog beds!
Beneficial reuse of textiles looks different for every material type: cotton, polyester and nylon can all be re-fibered for new life in different ways. Fiber-to-fiber textile recycling involves apparel fiber being converted for use in new apparel. Some textiles may be downcycled and used in the future for roof insulation, pet bed stuffing or acoustic tiling.
How does the WM Textile recycling facility work?
WM's textile recycling facility is the first of its kind in the textile recycling space and sorts by fabric type and color. The facility uses equipment with robotic near-infrared textile sorting technology to determine how textiles can be re-fibered for new purposes.
How long is the WM ReTRN pilot?
There are four set collection dates for the Troutdale WM ReTRN Program pilot. Collections will begin April 2025 and run until January 2026.
Textiles are only collected on designated collection dates. Please leave bagged textiles on the curb for no more than one week ahead of each collection date. Please do not leave textiles on the curb between collection dates.
