The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles association  (SMART) is gathering from March 1 to 4 at Arizona, US, to spread awareness about the benefits of clothing and textile recycling. Each year more than 13 million tons of recyclable clothing and textiles are dumped into America’s landfills while only 15.3 per cent is reused or recycled.

SMART is an association for-profit clothing and textile recyclers. It drives the clothing and textile recycling industry. Its member companies work every day to divert used clothing and household textiles out of municipal landfills and into re-use and recycling programs. More than 95 per cent of all clothing and textiles can be re-used or recycled. As long as an item is odor-free and dry, even if it is stained or torn, there is use for it in the world of textile recycling.

This year’s conference focuses on educating executives from SMART’s member companies on how to work with local governments to successfully regulate clothing collection bins in their community. SMART is the leading voice of the clothing recycling industry. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, recycling textiles has a greater impact on reducing greenhouse gases than recycling other household materials.