Massachusetts bans disposal of clothing, shoes and bedding

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WJAR) — They say one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and in Massachusetts, it’s now the law to keep certain items out of the trash and instead, donate, recycle or repurpose them.

Pamela Sherman is a coordinator at the First Unitarian Church of New Bedford’s Thrift Shop.

“I’m all for recycling, women’s clothing room, a fantastic book room, men’s clothing room, and then the main floor is divided into kitchenware, jewelry, furniture, linens,” said Sherman.

Starting this week, it is now illegal to throw away mattresses and textiles — items like clothing, shoes and linens. The state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said more than 600,000 mattresses get thrown out every year and an estimated 230,000 tons of textiles, 85% of which could be donated or repurposed.

We have very limited disposal capacity in Massachusetts and throughout the northeast part of the country,” said John Fischer, deputy division director of Solid Waste Massachusetts at the DEP.

Fischer said people can easily drop off these items in recycling bins, and if the item has value, at donation bins and thrift shops, adding that even old, torn clothing can be repurposed.

“Some of the options include wiping cloths that can be used for industrial rags. They can be bound up and used as filling for things like car seats. They can be ground up and used as a material in carpet padding,” he said.

He said exceptions to the ban include items contaminated with mold, bodily fluids, insects, oils or hazardous substances.