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Aug 15, 2008 4:00 pm US/Eastern
Green Scene: Recycling Clothes
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
For some students, back to school doesn't mean "back to shopping for new stuff." They're buying and selling clothes -- and helping the earth at the same time.
At Buffalo Exchange, recycling has always been in fashion.
Manager Leslie Weinstein said, "The most important thing is we're not filling up landfills with non-biodegradable materials, which a lot of clothing is -- especially synthetics nowadays."
So castoff clothing gets a new life as people swap sweaters, shirts, and shoes.
"T-shirts, denim, popular label items, anything from mall labels to less-expensive store labels," said Weinstein.
We found shoppers who decided to cash in on their fashion, but money wasn't their only motivation.
"I think it's better to give them to someone else than just throw them away," said Raina Lassiter, who traded in several bags of clothing.
Christopher Wickham said, "I had a jacket, an old leather jacket that's been sitting in my closet for like four years."
Not only did Wickham save trash, he saved money. After trading in his jacket, his new "old" jeans only cost a dollar.
"I can make a little bit of money and sort of recycle as opposed to just throwing things away," said Wickham.
Even the bags are recycle-friendly.
"We have bags that are made of 100-percent corn based products. They're 100-percent biodegradable, and they are also thick enough that people can reuse them over and over," said Weinstein.
If you bring in your own bag, you get a five cent token to donate to the charity of your choice.
They estimate they've saved more than five million bags from going into the trash.
"Helping people to understand the earth through fashion -- and everyone can relate to fashion!" laughed Weinstein.
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Buffalo Exchange
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