In Eugene, Oregon, castoff clothes are more than waste. They become merchandise, training work, and an avenue for second chances.
Instead of heading straight for the dump, donated garments at St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County move through a range of uses. The warehouse handles everything from stained tees and battered job clothes to flawed vintage finds, finding a path for them through resale, reuse, repurposing, or recycling.
What’s happening?
In the Willamette Valley, St. Vincent de Paul runs a large-scale response to clothing waste, according to KLCC. The outlet said the nonprofit kept nearly 3 million pounds of textiles and clothing out of landfills last year, a volume that makes it one of Oregon’s largest textile recyclers.
At its West Eugene warehouse, donations from around the state are separated by what can be done with them. Some pieces are good enough for thrift store racks, some damaged cotton shirts are reserved to become packaged shop rags, some standout items are pulled for online resale, and the hardest to sell leftovers are baled…