Simple Recycling, a company based in Ohio, is making its debut in Texas next week and offering curbside recycling of clothing, shoes and small household items.
The company will begin services in Bedford, Haltom City, Kennedale and Little Elm.
Residents in Bedford are receiving green ‘Simple Recycling’ bags for the program that begins on Monday.
“They came to us with this amazing idea. There was going to be no cost associated for the resident. This is good for the environment,” said Natalie Foster, spokeswoman for the city of Bedford.
Simple Recycling operates in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Millions of pounds of reusable material has been diverted from landfills in those states, according to the company.
Simple Recycling’s goal is to divert re-usable items from the waste stream and recycle them for what the company says is “best use”.
On the Simply Recycling website, it states, “According to the EPA, only 15% of clothing gets donated to all charitable organizations combined. 85% in put in the trash and ends up in the landfill. Clothing, shoes and home goods equate to up to 10% of the residential waste stream.”
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“The company is for profit so when they sell, they sell to thrift stores, they sell overseas, they have a very little bit left that they recycle,” Foster said.
The company tells NBC 5, Simply Recycling does encourage residents who currently donate their unwanted clothing to charitable organizations to continue to do so.
However, there is some concern on the part of non-profits, like Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth, that the Simply Recycling operations could adversely affect donations.
“Our concern is that residents might not understand these items are not going to support a charity like the Goodwill,” said President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth David Cox. “It’s actually a for-profit venture. They’re not able to issue tax receipts like Goodwill is because they’re not a charity like Goodwill is.”
Cox says the Goodwill recycles what they can’t sell, as well.
“Let me just say Goodwill is very supportive of recycling, we’re all about recycling. We always have been,” Cox said. “For 114 years, we’ve been doing the same thing. We’ve collected donations and with those donations. We’ve created jobs for the people in the community who need them the most. We recycle 30,000 pounds of items every year right here in Fort Worth alone. We think that it’s pretty convenient to donate to Goodwill.”
“In the other areas around the country where Simple Recycling is offered, we have not experienced a negative impact on the charities that collect clothing donations,” a Simple Recycling spokesman said.
Spokespeople for both Haltom City and Bedford told NBC 5 the cities encourage these types of donations to charities, as well, but see the Simply Recycling service as an alternative for those who throw items away.
In addition, a Simply Recycling spokesman told NBC 5 the company pays about a penny per pound to the cities for items collected.
