Every pound of clothing collected by Planet Aid translates directly into significant environmental benefits. Among its 22-state service area, Planet Aid collected 99 million pounds of clothing in 2011, and a similar amount in 2010.
Approximately 3-4 pounds of CO2 gases are prevented from entering the atmosphere for each pound of recycled clothing. As textiles decompose in landfills they release CO2 and other harmful gases. Water is another natural resource that benefits tremendously from recycling programs. For more on the environmental savings on recycling textiles see our Environmental Intelligence page.
Finally, when clothing is thrown away rather than recycled it often winds up in huge earthen landfills, where it slowly decays. In 2011, a half-million cubic yards of landfill space were spared. In addition, by not having to collect and dispose of clothing and other textiles, local municipalities collectively saved more than $4 million in manpower and disposal costs.
