Why throw clothes in a purple container?

From the data that the various municipalities of Attica have begun to provide over the past year, it appears that the recycling of clothing, shoes and household appliances is receiving a great response.

In 2023, there was a rapid increase in the consciousness of citizens. The purple bins received a very large amount of clothing and shoes. Of course the type of recycling plays a crucial role, as clothing is something that is constantly being renewed in most homes, so there is a stockpile that people will want to get rid of at some point. Therefore, the emergence of “recycom” tanks everywhere allows citizens to “empty” their wardrobe, providing a simple and quick solution.

Clothing items thrown into special purple containers are sorted and most of them, in good condition, are donated to institutions and social structures of the city, municipalities, so that they can be reused by those who need them.

At the same time, regional authorities, in turn, also have a financial benefit – they save disposal costs, since clothes, shoes, bags, belts, sheets, etc. are not thrown into the trash.

In 2023, the municipality of Heraklion in Attica tripled the amount of clothing (fabrics, shoes, etc.) that ended up in special purple recycling bins rather than in the trash. To be precise, Heraklion residents recycled approximately 64 tons last year, which is three times the corresponding 21 tons recycled in 2021, which was also the first year of the program.

With the launch of the program in 2021, 21,653 kg of clothing, footwear and textiles were recycled in Heraklion, 54,955 kg in 2022, and 63,840 kg in 2023. It is for these reasons that municipal authorities intend to place even more purple ballot boxes in neighborhoods in 2024.

Collecting clothes in special anti-vandal containers is an international practice that has successfully begun to spread in Greece. Containers allow you to donate clothes quickly and anonymously, and not spend extra resources on organizing the process: a special person who will accept things, organizing a space where the transfer of old things takes place, etc.

As you know, first all donated items are sent to a sorting workshop, where they are divided into several categories according to the degree of recycling. Good clothes that are still usable are usually sent to Second Hand for sale or go directly to those in need.

You can put clothes, shoes, bedding, blankets, towels or soft toys in containers. Textiles do not have to be in perfect condition. You can even donate worn or holey clothes. However Before putting things in the container, they must be washed. It is worth remembering that different organizations that own containers may have their own requirements for the quality of clothing, so it is better to familiarize yourself with the rules in advance.

The container for used clothes also does not need to be treated like a trash can. Therefore, you should never place garbage or food in it.

Source link