NEW YORK — A new recycling and rewards platform called Trashie has launched, encouraging the recycling of used clothing and linens in exchange for a variety of retail incentives.
Trashie sells what it calls a “Take Back Bag” through its website for $20. Customers can fill it with clothing, shoes, accessories and linens from any brand in almost any condition and mail it back to Trashie using a prepaid shipping label, just like an online return.
In exchange, customers receive $20 in “TrashieCash,” which they can redeem for exclusive rewards at popular dining, travel, clothing, beauty, wellness, and home goods brands.
Laundromats and laundry services that sometimes accumulate lost or unclaimed clothing and linens may find the service to be of interest.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 80 pounds of textiles per person are thrown into landfills each year in the United States alone. By using the Trashie service, a single customer can divert 15 pounds from landfills and save 151 pounds in CO2 emissions and 1,596 gallons of water, the company says.
“Everyone has too much stuff that they struggle to get rid of in an environmentally responsible way, and yet sustainable options are often inconvenient and expensive,” says Kristy Caylor, founder and CEO of Trashie. “Trashie makes it easy, rewarding — and fun — for people to make the sustainable choice.”
All collected items — from individual customers and through partnerships — go through Trashie’s textile recycling system, where they are sorted and graded domestically and assigned for reuse, recycling or downcycling.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].