Standard Textile Celebrates America Recycles Day

When it comes to recycling, education, awareness and collaboration are critical to changing habits and creating a successful, sustainable program. Understanding where the material goes and how it’s recycled is also important. This week, in recognition of America Recycles Day (November 15), we invited our local recycling representative to meet with associates at our corporate office in Cincinnati, OH. The session was focused on education: what can and cannot be recycled, along with “myths” and recent industry updates.

In the United States, the recycling rate is only 35% and most of the material found in a landfill can be recycled. Businesses play a role in recycling and can be good corporate citizens by leading the way with recycling. Plus, recycling is good for the community! It saves landfill space and creates jobs. According to Keep America Beautiful, over 530,000 jobs are created each year by recycling in the U.S.! Landfilling 1,000 tons of waste creates 1 job, while recycling 1,000 tons of materials creates 9 jobs.

At Standard Textile, materials are recycled and reused throughout our manufacturing processes. Waste fibers and fabrics created by trimming, cut and sew, and miscellaneous manufacturing operations are recycled; paper, cardboard and plastic are also recycled. We are dedicated to reducing waste by minimizing and eliminating unnecessary packaging and using post-consumer materials whenever possible. When waste is generated, we focus on recycling outlets and actively explore options for hard to recycle items.

Recycling is an activity that can be done both at work AND at home. Whether you choose to take the pledge on America Recycles Day or not, there are 3 actions you can take now to increase and promote recycling rates:

1. Learn – Understand the type of materials collected and recycled in your community. For more information on where to recycle other items, please visit; https://earth911.com/
2. Act – Evaluate and reduce the amount of waste you produce, focus on recycling more, and buy products made with recycled content. Get into a habit of recycling and stay aware of changes.
3. Share – Encourage others to learn more about recycling and find ways to reduce waste.