PRESS RELEASE

Textile & Book Recycling

Comes to

Berkeley County

The Berkeley County Solid Waste Authority (BCSWA) is pleased to announce that the Grapevine Road Recycling Center and the South Berkeley Recycling Center are expanding to include the acceptance of unwanted clothes, shoes and any type of books for recycling.

Both centers will be accepting clothes, shoes and books on a permanent basis, free of charge, effective January 28th, 2008. Both centers are open every Monday through Saturday; 9am to 5pm.  The Hedgesville and Marlowe Recycling Centers will NOT be accepting these items.

In an effort to develop the textile and book recycling, the BCSWA developed a cooperative with nonprofit recycler “Planet Aid”. Planet Aid is a registered West Virginia charity that was founded in 1997 with the dual objective of preserving the environment through waste reduction and to raise funds for community development. Planet Aid collects and sells more than 70 million pounds of recovered clothes annually and donated more than $5 million to development programs in 2007. They have 8,500 collection bins across the country. They have recycling collection boxes in the following metropolitan areas:

To qualify for acceptance, unwanted clothes (including shirts, pants, coats, socks, shoes, towels, blankets and boots) of any age or condition can be accepted. Items should be placed in a plastic bag, tied up and placed in one of the large yellow recycling containers at the recycling centers. In addition, any book (hardbound or paperback) can be deposited directly in a recycling bin at the sites.

Planet Aid has also agreed to provide containers for the acceptance of unwanted clothes free of charge to local merchants and institutions. Berkeley County businesses seeking to add a clothes recycling bin at their location can contact Planet Aid directly at:

Cameron Aylesworth, Operations Manager

Planet Aid (Balt/DC)

8919 McGaw Ct., Units 4-6

Columbia, MD 21045

ph. 410-309-1002

caylesworth@planetaid.org

The county's recycling program was developed in 1995 by the BCSWA in cooperation with the Berkeley County Commission as an effort to conserve landfill space and to continue the gradual implementation of the West Virginia Recycling Act. To find more information on the Berkeley County Recycling Program visit the webpage at: http://www.berkeleycountycomm.org/recycling.htm

Should any questions or comments arise, please feel free to contact our office at 304-267-9370 or the Berkeley County Recycling Hotline at 671-2925 or by e-mail at berkeleycountyswa@msncom       

Sincerely,

Clint R. Hogbin