The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) is working with partners across Franklin County this summer on a project to test and evaluate opportunities for collecting, sorting, baling and recycling clothing that can’t be resold or reused elsewhere.
Clothing that can’t be resold or reused elsewhere because it is stained, ripped or worn-out and doesn’t meet donation standards is considered to be at its ‘end-of-life’. Historically, there haven’t been many options to recycle these unwanted fabrics, and they commonly wind up in landfills or incinerated here in the U.S. or exported overseas further expanding carbon footprint into low-income communities.
“Textile waste is complex yet a rapidly emerging trend,” said SWACO’s executive director Joe Lombardi. “Locally, about four percent of the waste stream is comprised of these materials, putting clothing in the Top 10 most thrown-away items. We’re working with partners to change that.”
Throughout June, July and August, residents can drop off clothing that is at its ‘end-of-life’ for recycling at SWACO’s Recycling Convenience Center and at sites in Bexley, Worthington, Upper Arlington, The Ohio State University, and at select Goodwill Columbus stores.
“Goodwill is proud to participate in this pilot program, which allows our generous donors to thoughtfully give their textiles a second life, while also helping us support individuals getting a second chance at success in our community,” offered Ryan Burgess, chief executive officer of Goodwill Columbus.
“Circular Thrift is proud to have played a key role in designing and implementing the textile collection pilot now underway in Columbus. We believe local action is the foundation of a truly circular economy, and this project demonstrates the power of collaboration between mission-driven organizations. Working with SWACO has allowed us to connect community values with practical, scalable waste solutions—right here in Central Ohio,” said Lisa Goldsand, founder & chief executive officer of Circular Thrift.
SWACO is coordinating and funding the project, and the materials collected at the various drop off sites will be sorted and baled by Good Land at All American Movers and transported to Leigh Fibers, in South Carolina, which is the largest textile recycling company in the United States. The items will be recycled into products such as acoustic insulation in automobiles, filling applications in furniture, packaging, and sports equipment, as well as thermal insulation in construction materials.
SWACO and partners will study what it would take to recycle all of central Ohio’s ‘end-of-life’ clothing and other textiles in the future. The outcome of the project will help to inform the strategies included in SWACO’s Greenprint for a Sustainable Future (released in 2025) which aims to drive solutions for textile and other hard-to-recycle waste streams in central Ohio and integrate programs into the region’s broader recycling framework.
Published June 2025
