West Hartford Public Works Announces Change in Textile Recycling

Residents must call Simple Recycling in order to have textiles picked up curbside.

By Ronni Newton

The West Hartford Department of Public Works announced Tuesday that, effective immediately, pick-up of textiles left at the curb in the pink Simple Recycling bag will no longer take place on an automatic basis.

“Due to pandemic related changes, the Simple Recycling pink bag program, while remaining an option for scheduled curbside pick-up, will no longer collect material on scheduled recycling days,” the town said in an announcement Tuesday afternoon.

Bags will still be collected, but residents must call first for a pick-up, utilizing the same type of protocols as nonprofit organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters and AmVets have for picking up donations.

To have Simple Recycling collect your pink bag, call 866-835-5068 to schedule a pick-up day.

Residents can also bring their unwanted textiles to the Yard Waste and Recycling Center at 25 Brixton St.

According to the Department of Public Works, “nationally, textiles comprise of about 5% of total municipal solid waste. It is estimated that about 70 pounds of textiles are thrown away per person, per year in the United States.”

Textiles eligible for pick-up by Simple Recycling or drop-off at the Yard Waste and Recycling Center include clothing items, textiles such as curtains, belts, shoes, hats, towels, sheets, and more.

The Department of Public Works thanks residents for keeping textiles out of the trash stream, and for adjusting to this change.

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