Salem residents have a new way to donate unwanted clothing and housing textiles while also helping the environment. The city is launching a free curbside pickup of textiles for recycling, in partnership with HELPSY.
Starting Saturday, April 24, the company will collect the textiles curbside each Saturday, and bring them to recycling sites. Residents must make an appointment to arrange a pickup. Donated items should be clean, dry, and bagged and can range from dresses, shirts, pants, and suits to towels, bedding, pillows, and stuffed animals.
HELPSY partners with municipalities and organizations in 10 Northeast states to collect unwanted clothing and other textiles. “We are excited to offer a convenient way for residents to dispose of old clothing sustainably,” Michela Guglielmi, Salem’s waste reduction coordinator, said in a statement. “Between collection bins, clothing drives, and now this curbside collection service, there is no reason for textiles to end up in the trash.”
For more information and to schedule an appointment, go to helpsy.co/SalemMA.
John Laidler can be reached at laidler@globe.com.