Mar 13, 2026
Following the collaboration between Goodwill of the Finger Lakes and French textile regeneration company, Reju, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes’ President and CEO, Jennifer Lake, spoke with WXXI’s Beth Adams about expanding the way we think about the textile recycling journey. Their 10-minute discussion highlighted what happens to post-consumer textiles, donation and repurposing practices, and Goodwill of the Finger Lakes’ growing role in the process.
Because of the complex nature of textile recycling, people tend to throw out goods that were heavily used, damaged, stained, or tattered. It’s easy to dismiss the recycling potential of textiles because they do not have the same mental immediacy as paper, plastic, and glass. It is important to know what, where, and how to recycle textiles, considering only around 15% of textiles are donated after use.
Goodwill is widely known as a place to donate clothes to be resold in their thrift stores, but the textiles that do not make it past the sales floor have a purpose of their own that many are not aware of. There are extensive recycling methods that make a new life for unwanted or damaged textiles. Reju, a company focused on repurposing discarded clothing to create its own polyester with a lower carbon footprint, plays a key role in modern textile recycling — and they are collaborating with Goodwill right here in Rochester to make the impact even greater.
Goodwill of the Finger Lakes is also focused on creating more donation options that ensure all textiles have a chance at being repurposed. They are rolling out a new way to donate goods that are in less-than-optimal condition. At the front of some Goodwill stores, there will be a bin labeled as “worn and torn” to donate textiles that are unfit for reselling — giving them a second life for repurposing or recycling.
To learn more about how Goodwill of the Finger Lakes and the Rochester community are reshaping the way we think about the lifecycle of textiles, read or listen to the conversation here: https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2026-03-11/how-to-keep-tattered-clothes-and-textiles-out-of-the-landfill-theres-a-market-for-them-in-rochester.