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$5.00
$5.00
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IN PROUD PARTNERSHIP WITH CRADLES TO CRAYONS

With our clothing and textile collection service, WasteNot offers convenient pickup for all your gently used clothes, shoes, and textiles! All clothes, shoes, and other textiles are hand-sorted by volunteers at Cradles to Crayons. Clothing and shoes in good condition will be cleaned and repaired, then distributed to people across Chicagoland who are facing clothing insecurity. Items that cannot be donated will be recycled and down-cycled into other items such as pet bedding, padding, and mixed-fiber textiles. 

A bag will be delivered on your next scheduled service for you to fill up and place out on any subsequent service. Limit one (1) collection per service.

See below for more information on what is and is not accepted. If you'd like a tax receipt for donated items, click here. 

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ACCEPTED

  • All Clothing

  • Coats & Outerwear

  • New, Unused Socks

  • New, Unused Underwear

  • Shoes & All Footwear

  • Blankets & Sheets

  • Mittens, Gloves, Hats & Scarves

  • Rags & Towels

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NOT ACCEPTED

  • Household Goods

  • Toys & Stuffed Animals

  • Used Underwear & Socks

  • Sports Equipment

  • Books & School Supplies | Arts & Crafts | Cribs & Car Seats | Hygiene Products

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The goal of this collection is to provide high quality donations that help address clothing insecurity across Chicago. While non-donatable items are accepted and recycled, please consider that every item is hand sorted by volunteers at Cradles to Crayons. Donating high-quality items helps maximize the impact of this service.

MORE INFORMATION

How This Collection Works

- Add this item to your cart
- Fill the bag with your textiles.
- On any subsequent service date, place the bag next to your WasteNot bucket.
- WasteNot will collect the Textiles Collection bag along with your compost.
- Limit one (1) collection per service.

End of Life

Size & Specs

The bag holds approximately 20 gallons or 20 lbs of clothing. This is usually the equivalent of a closet clean out for one person.

Printable List of Accepted Items

Click here to print a list of all accepted items.

Avoiding Contamination - Help Keep This Collection Clean!

Please take time to ensure each item placed in the Textiles bag is among our list of accepted items. Placing the wrong items in the bag has significant human and environmental impacts.

If the bag contains contamination (especially damp, smelly fabrics) it is possible the entirety of its contents will not be able to be processed.

The goal of this collection is to provide high quality donations that help address clothing insecurity across Chicago. While non-donatable items are accepted and recycled, please consider that every item is hand sorted by volunteers at Cradles to Crayons. Donating high-quality items helps maximize the impact of this service.

If you have any questions or doubts about whether an item can be included, please don't hesitate to reach out to our customer support team at HQ@wastenotcompost.com.

YOUR IMPACT

To date, WasteNot members have helped divert over 35,000 pounds of clothing and textiles from landfills!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TEXTILE COLLECTION

Who are you partnering with? What happens with the donations? 

To offer this collection we are partnering with long-time WasteNot member Cradles to Crayons. Cradles to Crayons is a nonprofit in the Chicagoland area working to fight clothing insecurity for kids of all ages. Here’s a great video that shows what happens after WasteNot delivers your textiles to Cradles to Crayons. 

Who is eligible for this collection?

Currently, all residential WasteNot members who receive either weekly or bi-weekly compost collection in the Chicagoland area are eligible for this service. We are not able to collect textiles from non-members at this time. 

What is accepted in this collection? 

Check out our complete list of accepted items here. 

What do I need to do to prepare for delivery?

Fill up your bag with accepted items. Make sure not to overfill. Crease and fold over the top of the bag at the fill line. The bag does not need to be sealed. Place the bag on top of or near your bucket in your regular service location. Place the bag out on any service date and our team will collect it along with your compost. 

When will the bag be collected?

The Textiles Collection Bag can be collected on any regularly scheduled service date. You do not need to schedule a pickup with the WasteNot team.  Simply place the full mailer out with your bucket on any service date.

Can I sign up for a recurring subscription?

No, not currently. The Textiles Collection program is only available as a one-time add-on service. However, there is no limit on the number of collection mailers you may purchase.  

Can I order more than one mailer at a time? 

You may order as many bags at a time as you like, but we ask that you only place one bag out per service. 

What if the bag is overfilled or extra bags that are not the designated paper bag?

Overfilled bags (bags that go over the fill line or can't be closed) will not be collected. Our team will reach out to facilitate the purchase of a second bag if the first is overfilled and you need more capacity.