Textile Waste Solutions Company Wins California Recycling Award
Textile Waste Solutions, Inc. of Santa Barbara received the California Resource Recovery Association’s (CRRA) Award for Outstanding “Closing the Loop” Commitment during the association's 34th annual conference, held in Sacramento.
CRRA’s Annual Awards were presented recently during the conference, which was held in the Sacramento Convention Center.
The company works with local thrift stores, non-profits, businesses and local communities to recover post-consumer textile waste. More than 25 million pounds of textiles are either diverted for reuse as clothing in developing countries or converted into various industrial rags for use in the United States. Materials that are unsuitable for rags are further converted to fibers used in noise reduction stuffing. Through an innovative process, Textile Waste Solution’s textile recovery rate is between 95 and 98 percent.
The “Closing the Loop” award recognizes businesses and agencies that have implemented an innovative program that features procurement of products that reduce waste, have recycled content and/or are safer alternatives to toxic products. With regard to recycling, “Closing the Loop” refers to purchasing products that are made with post-consumer recycled-content.
According to CRRA President Julie Muir, the award submittals were outstanding. “Each year it is great to see the amazing programs that we have going on in the state. Between the initiatives of local government, federal agencies, nonprofits, individuals and private businesses it’s no wonder California is a leader in resource conservation, and on its way toward Zero Waste.” In 1990 California passed Assembly Bill 939, requiring all cities and counties to divert 50 percent of their waste from landfills by 2000. Since then, many jurisdictions have adopted Zero Waste goals as part of their waste management strategies.
CRRA, founded in 1974, is an environmentally focused professional organization for people involved in resource conservation through extended producer responsibility and waste prevention, reuse, recycling and composting activities.