This award is given to a business, government agency, community-based organization or school that has implemented an innovative program that features the procurement of products that reduce waste, have recycled content and/or are safer alternatives to toxic products.
“We are very honored to win such a prestigious award from such a well respected organization like the CRRA” stated Mattias Wallander, CEO of USAgain. He continued “Every year, USAgain charges itself with being the best recycling company in the business and is driven by partnering with local communities to help protect our environment.
"It truly is humbling to be recognized for all of our continued efforts to help keep reusable resources out of our landfills, as well as our efforts to be great partners with the communities in which we operate and service our 1,200 convenient recycling locationsin California.”
It is no surprise why USAgain was selected for this great honor. In 2012 alone, USAgain diverted 6.3 million pounds of clothing and other household textiles in California, and in doing so, prevented the emission of over 43.5 million pounds of CO2 into our atmosphere. In California, more than 880,000 tons of textiles are in sent to landfills each year as per CalRecycle.
Currently all textile-recycling efforts nationwide collect only 15% of the total textiles generated annually. On a per-ton basis, sorting and processing recyclable textiles alone sustains 10 times more jobs than landfilling or incineration. Product reuse is even more job-intensive than recycling. It is a knowledge based industry, with a premium placed on accurate sorting, pricing, and good inventory management.
In addition to the incredible job USAgain has done to help greening our environment, the award can as much be attributed to their vast array of local partnerships they take such pride in. In partnership with USAgain, the City of Santa Monica organizes one day collection events twice a year, while hosting USAgain recycling bins at city yards and city hall on an ongoing basis. Similar efforts regarding recycling bins have been made with the City of Sunnyvale.
Both cities wrote letters of recommendation for USAgain during the nomination process. Beyond the recycling of textiles, USAgain has fundraising partnerships with over 150 schools in CA, has sponsored tree planting at Sierra Club and spring cleanup events at DeFremery Park in Oakland, books donation to San Ramon Library, and the donation of warm winter coats to Boys and Girls clubs.
USAgain does not just talk the talk, they walk the walk. They have been a premier partner of the communities it operates in, a true friend to the environment and that is why the took home the 2012 Outstanding “Closing the Loop” Commitment Award at this year’s CRRA Conference in Pasadena.
About USAgain
USAgain – a leader in the textile recycling industry with corporate headquartersin West Chicago, IL. – is a for-profit company that recycles and resellsreusable clothing and other textiles. Its mission isto provide consumers with a convenient and eco-friendly option to rid themselves of excess clothing, which is diverted from landfills. In 2012, USAgain was awarded an “A” rating by the Better Business Bureau. It maintains more than 10,000 collection boxesin 18 states and has nearly 200 employees.
USAgain