Wakefield Expanding Recycling Pickups

WAKEFIELD, MA – Residents with curbside trash and recycling pickup will soon be able to recycle textiles by bagging them and leaving them by the curb on their regular scheduled recycling collection day.

The Wakefield Department of Public Works will start providing this service, free to Wakefield residents, starting June 15. The program is in partnership with Simple Recycling.

Simple Recycling will accept a wide range of used textiles. The list of accepted items includes all types of used or new clothing, coats/jackets, jewelry, shoes, purses, hats, small toys, blankets, sheets, drapes/curtains, pillows, sleeping bags, backpacks, and more. A list of all items can be found on their website, www.SimpleRecycling.com. After collection, Simple Recycling will ensure all items are reused or recycled into new products.

Residents should place all textiles in the provided bags and place the bags at the curb before 7 a.m. on their regular recycling collection days. Bags should be placed three feet from recycling bins. Simple Recycling’s trucks will pick up the bags, free of charge. At the time of the pick-up, Simple Recycling will provide a new bag for the resident to use at a later date.

The new service is not intended to compete with donations to local charities. Instead, it provides a convenient curbside collection option for those who may otherwise dispose of textile items in the trash. If residents can eliminate textiles from the municipal waste stream, the Town could decrease the tonnage of waste produced, reducing costs on waste disposal.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about 84 percent of old clothes, shoes, belts, handbags, and textile items end up in a landfill or an incinerator. On average, that results in approximately 68 pounds of textile items per household each year.

For more information about the Simple Recycling program, to order more bags, or alert of a missed pickup, residents may call 866-835-5068 or visit www.SimpleRecycling.com. Residents may also contact the Wakefield DPW at 781-246-6301 x 4120.