Brookline Hosting Second Clothing And Textile Drive In 2025

BROOKLINE, MA—The Department of Public Works will host a clothing and textile drive on Sunday, May 18.

The four-hour event will begin at 10 a.m. at the Municipal Service Center on 870 Hammond St. This drive is being held in celebration of National Public Works Week, as the DPW and Senior Center held its usual annual drive on April 8. For this drive, the town is partnering with Thrifty Threads, a volunteer-run store on Harvard Street. The store is looking to acquire children’s summer clothing and all adult clothing. Residents are being asked to specifically label bags containing those items with “Thrifty Threads.”

The town is once again working with Helpsy, a company whose goal is to keep clothes and textiles out of the trash system. According to the DPW, 230,000 tons of textiles enter the state’s waste stream each year. This can reportedly cause water pollution and an increase in greenhouse gas emission. Helpsy reviews each textile item donated and determines which can be resold to other stores for reuse while others are recycled into rags or insulation.