Will County to Host Annual Textile Collections Event to Promote Reuse and Recycling

JOLIET – Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant welcomes the public to the annual Textile Collection Event at the Will County Office Building, from Monday, May 2 to Friday, May 8.

"This is a great opportunity to clean out and recycle old clothing and home items," said Bertino-Tarrant. "You can declutter and reduce the environmental impact of these items being sent to local landfills. It's a win-win!"

A drop-off point for items will be in the south end of the building's parking lot. Residents are welcome to drop off clean textile items, including clothes, footwear, and household items. Items with mold, mud, or dirt will not be accepted.

The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 2, to Thursday, May 7, in the parking lot of the Will County Office Building at 302 N. Chicago Street in Joliet. On Friday, the event will open at 6 a.m. as part of a broadcast event with the WJOL 1340 AM Morning Show.

"The primary goal of this event is to educate the public that cloth items should not be sent to the landfill," said Marta Keane, Will County Recycling Specialist. "Home textiles and clothing items can be reused and distributed to those in need or recycled if they are in not in a good enough condition for reuse."

Will County is partnering with Helping Hands, a local thrift store supplier and global reuse and recycling organization, to collect items for potential reuse or recycling. Helping Hands supplies thrift stores with secondhand clothing, keeping more than a million pounds of reusable goods from reaching landfills annually.

For more information about the textile collection event or the Will County Reuse Recovery and Energy Division, go to http://www.willcountygreen.com.