According to the EPA, Americans generate over 16 million tons of textile waste each year, with one of the poorest recycling rates of any reusable material. Clothing production relies on outputs from many of the top polluting activities in the world. Textile manufacturing requires burning fossil fuels for transportation; diverting vast amounts of water, energy, and chemicals to raise plants and animals for raw materials; and applying toxic dyes and treatments. Consequently, reducing textile waste would have ripple effects across many other polluting industries and help shrink your environmental impact on several fronts. By reducing, reusing, and recycling your garments and textiles you are supporting Encinitas’s journey towards Zero Waste and greenhouse gas emissions reductions as outlined in the Climate Action Plan.
What You Can Do To Help
- Reduce the amount of textiles you buy
- Look to repair any small rips, tears, or scuffs before you consider throwing pieces away. Listed below is a sample of clothing repair and tailoring services here in Encinitas
- Host clothing swap events with your friends to refresh your wardrobe instead of purchasing new pieces
- Reuse your pieces and give them a second life
- Donate or resell your items! See below for a list of Encinitas charity organizations, consignment stores, and thrift shops who would appreciate the pieces you’ve grown tired of.
- Recycle your more tattered textiles into new materials
- If you’re crafty or want to learn a new skill, try remaking your old materials into blankets, pet toys, or reusable bags. The possibilities are endless!
- Materials that are too worn for repairs, reuse, or donation made great cleaning rags.
- Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and many other charity organizations will assure that even your more tattered and unsellable pieces are repurposed into materials such as insulation, cleaning rags, furniture stuffing and more.
Local Resources
Repairs and Tailoring
- Alterations Center - (760) 942-7299
- 191 N El Camino Real # 109, Encinitas, CA 92024
- Chiyo's Tailors - (760) 436-9016
- 366 N El Camino Real # A, Encinitas, CA 92024
Stores with Recycling and/or Repair Programs
- Madewell - (760) 633-9783
- Nearest Location: 1923 Calle Barcelona Space #142, Carlsbad, CA 92009
- Bring your denim jeans (any brand of full length, adult size) to a Madewell store and Blue Jeans Go Green™ recycles them into housing insulation for communities in need. You will also receive $20 toward a fresh pair. (link)
Donation Thrift Stores
- Community Resource Center Resale Store - (760) 753-8222
- 1331 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024
- Goodwill Bookstore & Donation Center - (760) 230-1403
- 1520 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024
- Goodwill will take clothing of almost any condition (not hazardous materials such as oil rags). If they receive excess donations, or clothing too worn to sell they assure that the items are recycled into new materials.
"When a clothing item is not sold at our retail stores or bookstores, the item is sent to our Clearance Center, if it does not sell there - it is sent to one of our Outlets and sold by piece or tote. Anything not sold at our piece/tote sale is baled and recycled. Goodwill diverts approximately 84.1 million pounds of materials from local landfills each year." - Goodwill Industries of San Diego
Drop-Off Sites
Resale/Consignment Stores
Learn How to Recycle Other Items
- WasteFreeSD is a zero waste database that strives to empower local community members by providing solutions to common disposal problems. I Love a Clean San Diego maintains information on over 1,000 resources to help residents and businesses find hassle-free solutions.
Do you have a favorite local merchant that deals in recycling or tailoring textiles that is not listed here? Please let us know! Contact us at recycling@encinitasca.gov.
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