According to the U.S. EPA, a whopping 85 percent of all discarded textiles — 11 million tons — are sent to U.S. landfills every year.

A lot of folks in Kane County simply don’t understand how simple it is to recycle textiles — or how important.

To that end, two bullet points:

• First, click this link to see the Kane County Recycles page on clothes, shoes and textiles recycling in our area. You’ll learn about charitable organizations, drop-off locations and recycling drives that can help you do the right thing when it’s time to unload old clothes.
• Second, come to Batavia’s 11th annual A Green Night Out at the Movies on Saturday, March. 9. This free event will feature the documentary film The True Cost.

Green Night Out at The Movies

• When: Saturday, March 9, 2019
  • Eco Expo Opens at 6 p.m.
  • Movie starts at 7 p.m.
• Where: Batavia City Hall, Council Chambers, 100 North Island Ave., Batavia
• Cost: Free Admission

According to a news release for the event, Global production of clothing has increased more than 400 percent in the past 20 years. At the same time, the majority of people who make clothes for the global market live in poverty and the production and processing and distribution of our clothes are also having a devastating impact on the environment.

“Most people don’t understand the social and environmental impacts of the fashion industry,” said event organizer Carolyn Burnham.  “Our personal decisions about what and how many clothes we buy can have a huge impact.”

At Batavia’s 11th annual A Green Night Out at the Movies, hosted by the Batavia Environmental Commission and Advanced Disposal, you’ll get a chance to see — at no charge — the documentary film The True Cost. You’ll also get free popcorn and drinks, an expo of local eco groups and businesses and a lively discussion about the issues raised in the movie afterward.

The True Cost is a story about clothing. It’s about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry is having on our world. It’s a groundbreaking documentary film that pulls back the curtain on the untold story and asks us to consider: Who really pays the price for our clothing?

The night’s featured speaker is Mattias Wallander, CEO of USAgain, and organization that collects clothes and shoes for reuse and rewear across the United States.

Since 1999, USAgain has expanded into a nationwide network of more than 8,000 clothing recycling sites in 14 states and planted more than 950,000 trees.

Mattias Wallander

Prior to his role at USAgain, Wallander spent 10 years working on environmental and humanitarian development projects in Southern Africa and Central America, seeing first-hand the global need for good and affordable used clothing.

His goal is to make textile recycling as convenient to the average person as it is today to recycle glass, paper and plastic, and to eventually achieve zero textile waste.  With his team at USAgain, Wallander is developing solutions for increasing textile diversion from 15 percent to 75 percent through increased consumer convenience and accessibility.

The public is invited to ask questions during the discussion.

“Everyone in the audience can make choices to help solve these problems,” Burham said. “We want everyone to go home with the tools to make a change.”

For more information about this event and local environmental issues anytime, check out the BEC’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/BataviaEnvironmentalCommission and at www.cityofbatavia.net/environmental

About the Batavia Environmental Commission

The mission of the Batavia Environmental Commission is to fulfill the role of environmental advisor, educator and motivator to city government and the community at large.