Queen Creek to offer textile recycling
Aug 22, 2012, 6:32 AM | Updated: 6:32 am
QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. — The town of Queen Creek sees itself as a pioneer.
“We are the first municipality in the country to offer curbside textile collection and recycling,” said Ramona Simpson, Queen Creek’s recycling program administrator. “Textiles are clothing, shoes, towels, sheets, blankets, those kind of items.”
The 7,000 residents will be getting a packet in the mail that will include a blue bag that they can fill with old clothes and put out next to their recycling can.
“They fill that bag up, they put it on their regular recycling collection day and it goes to our recycling facility,” said Simpson.
Those items will then be recycled by United Fibers of Chandler.
“They use that material to create an ecofriendly insulation that is manufactured in Chandler,” said Simpson.
United Fiber is expanding the program to an entire town after it tested it for six weeks in the Sun Lakes area of Chandler. Queen Creek will try the program for four months. If it’s a success, it will become a permanent addition.
Queen Creek and a local charity will benefit financially from the program.
“The town of Queen Creek will receive 10 cents per ton of what is collected,” said Simpson, adding that the Boys and Girls Club of Queen Creek will also get 10 cents per ton.
