WM and Goodwill are excited to offer a convenient textile reuse (and recycling) solution at no cost for residential customers in the City of Troutdale: the WM ReTRN (Recovering Textiles Right Now) Textiles Pilot!
What is textile waste?
Textile waste can include discarded or unwanted textile material from post-industrial, pre-consumer, and post-consumer waste streams. Focusing on post-consumer waste, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated 17 million tons of textiles were generated in 2018. Of that total, 2.5 million tons were recycled, 3.2 million tons were combusted, and 11.3 million tons were sent to the landfill. This means the average American throws away… a lot of textiles. What if there was a way to combat this problem? Well, that is what the WM ReTRN Textiles Pilot is trying to answer, and in the process help Troutdale residents reuse and recycle textiles without sending it to the landfill.
What does it mean to recycle textiles?
In industry speak, fiber-to-fiber textile recycling involves apparel fiber being converted for use in new ways rather than being sent to a landfill. The goal is to extend the lifespan of the fibers because it requires large inputs of energy, water, and labor to produce and distribute clothing so buying a shirt, wearing it a handful of times and then throwing it in the garbage represents a big waste of those resources. Beneficial recycling of textiles looks different for every material type: cotton, polyester and nylon can all be re-fibered for new life in different ways. Some textiles may be downcycled and used in the future for roof insulation, pet bed stuffing or acoustic tiling. Old denim jeans can become speaker insulation. Old pillows can be turned into new dog beds. The list goes on.
But before reuse and recycling enters the picture it is important to remember every item in your closet has a cost-per-wear longevity: the longer you wear that shirt or pair of jeans, the more you get out of your investment and the more those resources are put to good use. A closet stocked with several quality items will outlast a closet packed with poorly made, disposable clothes. Keep it simple, buy less and buy the best quality you can whether that’s new or reuse clothing.
The first collection date is on April 24, 2025, as part of your regular residential curbside collection day services. Subsequent collection dates are: June 26, 2025, September 2025 (TBA), January 2026 (TBA).
Collection Instructions
- Place up to ten (10) bags filled only with textiles at the curb alongside WM carts.
- Bags used must be no larger than 35-gallon plastic bags.
- Bags should be securely closed (double bagged, if possible) and clearly labeled “WM Textiles”.
Accepted
- 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
Not Accepted
- Clothes soiled or stained with chemicals, mold or other hazardous materials.
- Shoes, accessories (hats, gloves, belts, etc.), or mattresses.
- Garbage, recycling, yard and food waste.
Visit the WM ReTRN webpage for more information