*Reprinted with permission: Make A Donation to the Special Olympic Bins! by GreenWorks/Waste Watchers Education and Outreach and Carol Etheridge-Williams, representative for Special Olympics of Virginia, for Your Monthly Green News e-newsletter dated January 2021. Copyright 2021 Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission and Waste Watchers of the Eastern Shore.
I'm sure you've seen this bin somewhere along the Eastern Shore... whether at one of the convenience centers in Northampton and Accomack or at any one of their various other locations. Carol Williams, representative of the Special Olympics of Virginia, has shared just what these bins mean and has expressed her gratitude for how generous Eastern Shore residents have been and continue to be! Curious how this works? Read on...
What Type of Donations are Accepted?
Used textiles (clothes, curtains, towels, etc.), shoes, and books. Any condition - you can even donate that old shoe with the hole in it! The Special Olympics donation bins LOVE and ask for your "undesirable" items so they can repurpose them and keep helping our communities in addition to raising funds for the Special Olympics of Virginia.
What Happens with Donations?
The donations are stored in a semi-tractor trailer, which once full is then weighed and purchased from the Special Olympics based on poundage... to spare you the math, this translates into thousands of dollars per month!
The donations are separated into items for resale and items for recycling.
Items for recycling, such as ripped or stained textiles are taken to a facility where they are shredded and woven into tags to be sold to industries...Belts, shoes, pocketbooks, etc. that are not desirable for resale are shredded and used in car seats, carpets, punching bags, for example.
And Be Sure To...
Check out SMART - the Association of Wiping Materials, Used Clothing and Fiber Industries where you can access instructional print-out sheets for school age children to start them on a path of saving the environment, as Carol Williams would say... "Nothing says recycling like hand me downs!" You can also read more about textile recycling or view information on the Special Olympic bins, including a statement of transparency from the President of the Special Olympics to verify the money raised from the donations are in fact going to the charity.
A VERY GIANT THANK YOU TO CAROL WILLIAMS FOR ALL OF HER EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS OF VIRGINIA & THE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION SHE HAS SHARED WITH US!
Click on the image for an accessible PDF version.
Editor's Note:
In a follow up conversation with Carol Williams she stated how Northampton County's donations have been helping the Special Olympics and keeping textile waste out of the landfill.
Williams said, "...in 2019, the tonnage was over 100,000 lbs! Of course this translates into monies for the Special Olympics but also saves the county money by not having to pay for disposal of textiles thrown in the municipal centers, so it is a win-win. We started with 1 recycling bin at each location, we currently have 2 at each site and Bayview has requested a 3rd donation bin so the word is getting around. The Moose Lodge on Merry Cat Lane in Belle Haven also has a bin."
Great work, Northampton County! Let's keep it rolling!
For more information about where you can donate used clothing in Northampton County, Virginia, visit our Solid Waste page.
And be sure to check out the Special Olympics of Virginia website to find out how you can get involved.
Want to subscribe to the GreenWorks/Waste Watchers newsletter? Visit their website at www.wastewatchersesva.org/.
Visit the A-NPDC website to learn more about the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission.
Locations you can donate:
1. Cheapside 26371 Arlington Road Cape Charles 23310
2. Bayview 22564 Bayview Circle Cape Charles 23310
3. Eastville 15552 Courthouse Road Eastville 23347
4. Birdsnest 9005 Birdsnest Drive Birdsnest 23307
5. Moose Lodge 15315 Merry Cat Lane Belle Haven 23306
6. Hare Valley 10195 Hare Valley Drive Exmore 23350
7. Wardtown 8427 Occohannock Neck Exmore 23350
8. Wash City 399 Charles Lankford Hgwy (Rt 13) Exmore 23550
9. Lighthouse Thrift 18309 NR North Street Keller 23401