American Textile Recycling invests in clothes collection facility

Dive Brief:

Houston-based American Textile Recycling Service (ATRS) has purchased a clothing and shoe collection facility in Indianapolis formerly owned by Retail Management Specialists of Eastern Missouri LLC, for an undisclosed amount. The garment collection and donation business collects gently used clothing donations in Indiana for Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
ATRS recycles textiles for free to be donated in 10 states and 28 metropolitan areas, performing the functions of grading and sorting the materials. The business partners with municipalities, property management companies, schools, churches, and local retailers to establish drop-off locations for donations of clothing, shoes, toys, and household textiles.
ATRS, which launched in 2001, is present in post-consumer niches such as second-hand clothing, residential and commercial insulation, upholstery stuffing, and thread. It is working to establish its operations nationwide by 2025.

Dive Insight:

Americans generate 25 billion pounds of textile waste annually — only 15% of which is donated or recycled. The remaining tossed materials represent 5.2% of all of the trash generated in the U.S., according to the Council for Textile Recycling.

Some clothing manufacturers like Levi's, H&M, and Speedo are doing their part to see that the products they generate don’t simply end up as waste by creating products from used textiles and or offering discounts on new clothes for old ones that they recycle.

ATRS believes it has found its place in the repurposed clothing niche while supporting charity.

"We are excited about our next phase of growth and development into the Midwest and beyond," said Debra Stevenson Peganyee, chief marketing officer for ATRS, to Waste360. "Our mission is to serve more communities and neighborhoods across the nation with easy convenient textile recycling solutions for all. We look forward to helping DAV expand this clothing donation partnership into an ongoing stream of monthly revenue to increase local programs and services for veterans statewide."