America Recycles Day School Clothing Drive

Planet Aid's School and Community Programs is holding the 2023 America Recycles Clothing Drive through the entire month of November. The drive to collect used clothes and shoes is being held to commemorate America Recycles Day on November 15.

Planet Aid's America Recycles Clothing Drive helps schools raise funds by rallying students and the community to donate unused or unwanted items. It is also an effective way to inform students and the community about the importance of reusing and recycling used clothes and shoes and help them develop habits that preseve the environment.

Last year, 48 school partners helped remove 47,056 pounds of textiles from the wastestream, which conserved an estimated 65-million gallons of water.

This year, more than 300 schools will participate. If you're school is not currently a Planet Aid partner, contact School and Community Programs at education@planetaid.org to request your free bin.

How it works

1. Planet Aid will track how many pounds of used clothes and shoes each partner school collects in November
2. Schools can boost donations in November through campaigns that encourage students and the community to donate used clothes and shoes. The most creative campaign will also win a prize package
3. Schools will receive a raffle ticket for every 500 pounds collected
4. Schools will also receive a raffle ticket for posting updates to social media and tagging @PlanetAid
5. A raffle drawing will livestreamed on December 12 to award five schools with prize packages
6. The school that collects the most pounds in November will receive a $500 prize
7. Prize packages will also be awarded to the "most improved" school and the "most creative" campaign

Prize Packages

Every participating school will also receive a raffle ticket for every 500 pounds collected during November. Planet Aid will conduct a live raffle drawing on December 12 and the winning five schools can choose from several prize packages. The more pounds a school collects, the greater its chances to win a prize package.

Share on Social Media

A prize will be awarded to the school with the most creative campaign to increase donations in November. Simply tag @PlanetAid when you post your campaign to social media. In addition, schools will earn additional raffle tickets by posting to social media and tagging @PlanetAid.

Other Ways to Commemorate America Recycles Day

There are many ways to commemorate America Recycles Day. If your recycling stewardship is simply taking a bag of clothes to your local Planet Aid bin, you are making a difference, and that is what counts. Here are a few more ways to take action, recycle, and seize the day.

Educate yourself. Dedicate the day to learning about the "do's" and don'ts" of recycling. Details differ by area, so learn what's acceptable in your community. Secondly, you should explore other sustainable options like reducing consumption, donating surplus items, repurposing, and reusing.

Start a recycling program in your neighborhood. Why wait for someone else to be the spark, when you can light the flame? Begin by conducting an audit of the waste in your neighborhood, which informs what kind of recycling effort is needed. Recycling.com provides eight tips to guide you in your pioneering venture in recycling or contact your local recycling center or waste management facility to learn how to get started.

Host a recycling event! Whether you are a social media guru or an old-school flyer maven, getting the word out about your recycling event is not difficult. Enlist the help of others to organize a clothing swap, then donate any unused clothes to a local charity. Another suggestion is planning a movie night with a bag of recyclable plastic items as the admission fee.