City and nonprofit team up to reduce clothing waste

The City of El Paso Environmental Services Department and Candlelighters of El Paso teamed up to decrease garbage in the landfill for a good cause.

On any given day, ESD said that more than 1,500 tons of trash is dumped and about five percent of it is clothing and shoes.

The new partnership allows Candlelighters, an organization that helps families fighting childhood cancer, to install its large, yellow clothing donation bins at the city’s five Citizen Collection Stations.

With the average person throwing out almost 80 lbs of clothing every year, Jesus Yamaguchi with Environmental Services said he hopes the partnership reduces waste.

“We said what better opportunity to partner up with somebody already doing it, and divert more from the landfill,” said Yamaguchi.

Candlelighters bins are already at various locations around town, but can now be found at the Citizen Collection Stations at the following locations:

Far East – 3510 Confederate

Eastside – 1034 Pendale

Northeast – 4507 Hondo Pass

Central – 2492 Harrison

Westside – 121 Atlantic

For more information on donations, call 311 or visit elpasotexas.gov/environmental-services.