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Unfair_Isopod534 t1_iud3j2b wrote

Considering oil and body fluids as a disclaimer it seems to be the law is trying to target businesses who sell clothing. They are the only ones who would really have any clothes that are not covered in oils or body fluids. You could easily consider your old shoes or clothes dirty.

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eiron-samurai t1_iud5bvv wrote

Honestly this makes a lot more sense when you look at targeting businesses. The amount of textiles that they bring in and then throw away due to seasonal changes alone is tremendous. Add in growing costs to ship these textiles and I can see how eventually it's just cheaper to write off the loss.

Making sure those can be recycled rather than destroyed seems like a solid cause to me. Are they going to come after an individual for throwing out a tee shirt, no. Kohl's however better make sure they are reselling or donating everything.

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Snowstig t1_iud9yp7 wrote

Look up the Atacama Desert....it's depressing.

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SharpCookie232 t1_iudfo2t wrote

>the Atacama Desert

What's happening there is awful. Chile is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The article says that 8% of greenhouse gases are created in the production of fast-fashion clothing.

People - before you buy new, have a look at what's for sale at your local thrift store or on ThreadUp/Poshmark/Mercari/EBAY. This is especially true if you're buying something that you're not going to keep very long (kids clothes, an "in-between" size while you're dieting, something for a costume, etc.).

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teriyakichicken t1_iuehnb6 wrote

Yes - buy used when you can! Facebook groups are also great for finding used goods. There are TONS of “everything free” and “buy nothing” groups for almost every area of MA.

I have a 7 month old and these groups have been a godsend for finding baby items in good condition. It feels great to not have to buy a bunch of crap that will be used for a month or two before it’s outgrown.

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Kaio_ t1_iuf9qla wrote

Just gonna go out on a limb and say it's The Atacama Desert. Nobody lives there, it's inhospitable and huge. That trash pile is no bigger than a modest municipal dump. Plus, somebody will set it afire one day.

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Agreeable_Sun3754 t1_iuf3j64 wrote

Reselling or donating aren't really viable solutions. It just ends up with the trashcan in another country.

Ideally we need a recycling program that can turn textiles into something like insulation.

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TinyEmergencyCake t1_iuf7oko wrote

These exist, and the textiles that aren't reusable go there. That's why the rule is to take ALL textiles to the clothing bins. Those charity bins have a sorting process already. Usable goes to be resold in thrift, unusable gets sent to "tear down" to be repurposed.

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Agreeable_Sun3754 t1_iufeeel wrote

Exists and being able to handle the total volume of textiles are two very different things.

Prioritize self recycling. Especially if textile companies are now required to donate all their waste. The used stuff you donate is going to just add to the massive stream of textiles.

If you know how to make use of a large volume of textiles maybe it would be worth doing a project yourself.

The clothing charity system is completely over burned by the volume of textiles.

Honestly I would love to see some sort of decomodifying effort. Like all churches should have a free store. It's infuriating that they don't.

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billatq t1_iudc7ux wrote

I wonder if we’ll hear in a few years that businesses which want to destroy unsold clothing (e.g. fancy brands with a lot of margin) are now spraying oil on the before sending them to the incinerator.

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ChefBoyAreWeFucked t1_iudz22f wrote

"Each employee is entitled to a fifteen minute bathroom break, to be taken in the Unsold Inventory Warehouse."

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Unfair_Isopod534 t1_iueeeky wrote

Well that's why I said they are trying. I can see that happening but also i can see businesses build on top of that law that make the disposal as affordable as spilling oil on your merch. a third option would be that's meaningless law that does nothing, as others pointed out. either way, time will tell.

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ccasey t1_iufsvxp wrote

You can’t throw out mattresses anymore, wtf are you supposed to do with those?

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icwhatudiddere t1_iuhbrlp wrote

There are companies that recycle mattresses. Hopefully municipalities will start giving someplace for dropping off unwanted mattresses. Otherwise people might be tempted to dump them or leave them in storage.

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Master-Ota t1_iud30p4 wrote

Passing laws with absolutely zero infrastructure to support said changes? Typical.

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wolf95oct0ber t1_iudb6l6 wrote

I’m not arguing this is perfect or enough, but there isn’t zero infrastructure: “Since the first waste bans were introduced, Massachusetts municipalities and businesses - often supported by MassDEP grants and technical assistance - have developed new infrastructure to collect banned items and other discarded materials, and to divert them from disposal to reuse and recycling.” info on waste bans

And programs available to support local efforts

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SharpCookie232 t1_iudheb6 wrote

Where do you live? I'm in a small suburban town more than a half hour outside of Boston and we have at least a dozen donation bins around, plus organizations that will pick up, thrift stores that take donations all day every day, and a textile drive at school.

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masshole4life t1_iuemko0 wrote

sounds like a scheme to get people to burden charities with their unusable trash rather than municipalities whose responsibilities include...trash disposal programs.

people already abuse those bins with trash to the point many in the worcester area have been removed.

charity dropoffs are not supposed to be a rubbish disposal. now, if the state will allow these charities to dump for free so they may alleviate this sudden huge burden, then that would be somewhat reasonable. but expecting charities to absorb the burdens of this short sighted decision is bullshit.

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SharpCookie232 t1_iuer3n6 wrote

The point of the law is that used textiles aren't trash. If they aren't in good enough condition to be worn, they can be turned into insulation or rags.

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masshole4life t1_iuesuvf wrote

but why is it the charity's job to collect, store, sort, and ship these textiles? if it's that easy then why don't municipalities set up "used textile" bins rather than shifting the burden to nonprofits?

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SharpCookie232 t1_iufor3y wrote

It's not a burden - they make money from it which they use to support whatever cause their organization is all about. It wouldn't be worth it for municipalities. You need to do it on a large scale. Savers processes 700 million pounds of clothing per year.

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techsavior t1_iud6m5b wrote

Welcome to politics in general, it’s not just a Massachusetts thing.

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dirkvonnegut t1_iud7frr wrote

Gonna see a lot more mattresses in our woods and lakes. Politicians always seem to think laws work like magic.

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Garethx1 t1_iudunqx wrote

Where do you live that the municipalities still took matresses with trash pick up? I cant think of any around me that do. Just like with this law, you already had to bring them to the transfer station and pay separately.

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cowghost OP t1_iud0f8e wrote

So seriously. How the fuck is anyone supposed to follow this. Their is one place that pops up for my town and they only do medical waste.

Really frustrating that they make rules no one is going to be able to comply with.

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fireball_jones t1_iud5679 wrote

Every school in our town has a clothing / textile bin. The mattress change is more annoying but how often are you getting rid of mattresses.

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JPBurgers t1_iud9sgp wrote

Anytime you do they typically haul off the old one. Like large appliances. Now the additional cost will be rolled into prices so the furniture companies can continue this “free service”

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fireball_jones t1_iudgo0s wrote

Assuming you order from a store. Mattresses in a box are pretty popular these days, so it is an annoyance, but I'm sure any of the dozens of trash pickup on demand companies will have an option for it.

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Wizard_of_Rozz t1_iud145e wrote

Contaminate it with bugs oil and you’re all set!

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cowghost OP t1_iud18g0 wrote

It just pisses me of when rules are made that literally will have to be broken.

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binghamwrongedyou t1_iufyzyp wrote

Sounds like your problem doesn’t have to do with laundry and you’re just projecting it on the topic

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thekuroikenshi t1_iud6v2q wrote

Contact your local government and ask for help. They'll either point you to resources or if demand is high enough figure out a solution. Will probably cost money but there's no such thing as a free lunch.

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InfiniteState t1_iudnsdf wrote

Anything w/ bodily fluids you can still trash. So just pee on your mattress before you put it out on the curb.

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TooTallForPony t1_iudse9d wrote

Getting rid of a mattress? Time to invite Amber Heard for a sleepover!

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MrsMurphysChowder t1_iudcw7m wrote

It's also on enforceable except for the mattresses. Throw your clothes in a plastic bag and put them in the trash and no one knows any better. Or pour oil on the clothes if you really want to be careful about it. Stupid unenforceable laws are knee jerk reactions from politicians who don't know s*** about anything.

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Compoundwyrds t1_iue4253 wrote

It’s good to enforce this against businesses who throw away clothes by the truckload. They can’t hide it. Super wasteful and would be better going to people who need it to stay warm, and get a leg up off of homelessness, rather than people in the strata of shopping to fulfill a void. Source: I’ve disposed of truckloads of brand new clothing that stuck around on clearance, from a retailer in MA.

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lotusblossom60 t1_iud2gvj wrote

This is a serious question. What are we now doing with old nasty mattresses again? And old shoes?

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EzualRegor t1_iud4ayx wrote

Breaking down a matress and box spring is no joke. So I assume there will be substantial fees added to disposing these materials. How about we ban the sale of cheap junk that is engineered to fail.

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jjgould165 t1_iud66a7 wrote

It will be a $55 fee in my town and they also suggested asking the company that you purchase your new mattress from if they are cheaper and just take care of it that way.

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brufleth t1_iudvu3m wrote

Up until now, they just got tossed in the back of the garbage truck. Always fun to watch them get crushed up.

Is this rule being pushed by the bulk trash pickup lobby?

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summerly27 t1_iud7k5r wrote

Municipalities are required to provide a recycling option to residents. Whether that be a curbside pickup or a bin at the town transfer station. Contact your local DPW for specifics.

Additionally, if you are buying a mattress, you can have the furniture company remove/recycle it.

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Morley__Dotes t1_iud5b3b wrote

Google “mattress disposal near me” and you will probably find a few options. You may have to pay if you aren’t able to transport the old mattress somewhere yourself.

Also, if you are buying a new mattress, I suggest asking the seller if they can take the old one. Some will. I’m surprised this new regulation doesn’t also require them to begin doing that too. Some states already have that.

Edit to add that the local dump near me recycles them for free if you have a sticker.

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diplodonculus t1_iud8uzb wrote

What were you doing prior to this law for your mattress? I know you weren't just tossing it in with your household trash.

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wkomorow t1_iudchyo wrote

In our city, you purchased a matress sticker -59$ or there abouts and affixed it to the matress, and left it on the curb on garbage pickup day or you had the furniture store pick it up when they delivered a new one. Now the city has partnered with a recycler who picks it up for $55.

For clothes, we have 2 municipal drop boxes plus charity drop boxes. I guess they sort out reusables/donatables from trash.

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SharpCookie232 t1_iudglnc wrote

>I guess they sort out reusables/donatables from trash.

They do. They sell what can be sold to be re-worn and the rest is sold by the ton to India, where it is sorted through to see what can be sold in developing countries, and the rest is ground into fibers and used for insulation. You can learn more about it here:

https://graphics.wsj.com/glider/rags-dea65355-83f8-4ce7-8297-2e5f8de20fd9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZUOCsnQqY

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rousseuree t1_iudt86y wrote

City of Boston would 100% take them, no special time of year limits

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lotusblossom60 t1_iudl7s7 wrote

My town would pick them up. Now they say they will no longer do that.

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diplodonculus t1_iudliim wrote

Which town was previously picking up mattresses for free and is now no longer doing that?

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Live-Breath9799 t1_iud3suz wrote

Some towns have dumps where non residents can pay a disposal fee to leave mattresses.

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tenderooskies t1_iudd53w wrote

when you buy a mattress, many companies will take your old one for recycling. there will also be pick up at a cost per my understanding. shoes can be dropped off at a lot of bins around the state / your town

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Bargadiel t1_iudqojz wrote

This change is meant for businesses. Anything contaminated with mold or bodily fluids is exempt from this ban. It's because businesses throw out tons of unworn textiles each year due to seasonal changes instead of donating them.

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MrsMurphysChowder t1_iudaj0t wrote

Right? I have not heard of any massive textile recycling program that we're running in Massachusetts currently.

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SharpCookie232 t1_iudgtti wrote

It's global. Just put it into a donation bin. Companies like Savers and Goodwill sell what can be sold to be re-worn and the rest is sold by the ton to India, where it is sorted through to see what can be sold in developing countries, and the rest is ground into fibers and used for insulation. You can learn more about it here:

https://graphics.wsj.com/glider/rags-dea65355-83f8-4ce7-8297-2e5f8de20fd9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZUOCsnQqY

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pfmiller0 t1_iudpos2 wrote

There are old shoe recycling programs. The rubber can be ground up and reused for various things.

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analog_stuff t1_iud4s0q wrote

I used to work for a company that owns those white textile bins at schools/town recycling centers, only like 54% of the stuff actually ever gets recycled by companies like those, the rest of it gets resold to markets in Africa, where it ends up in landfills when it doesn’t all get bought

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NativeMasshole t1_iud5kzr wrote

It's always been crazy to me that it can be profitable to ship stuff thousands of miles when it's already essentially worthless here.

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analog_stuff t1_iud667j wrote

Theres huge clothing markets over there, stall owners buy recycled textiles by the bale

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SGI256 t1_iuf89sn wrote

I watched a video where they were interviewing the people that buy bales. There is a ton of stuff they dont want. The stuff they dont want should not be shipped across the ocean. There are categories of things that should not be shipped because it is almost guaranteed it will be thrown away.

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Maddcapp t1_iuds6cm wrote

The financial strategy is crazy with textiles. Like before the Super Bowl they print up shirts for both teams winning and just trash the losers merchandise. And still make a killing. Just to capture the excitement of people going right online to buy their teams shirts right away.

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NativeMasshole t1_iudtg7o wrote

Good point! Which I guess is the type of wasteful behavior they're trying to target here.

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pfmiller0 t1_iudqmgw wrote

Think of all the dirt cheap Chinese made novelties you can buy. In large enough quantities almost anything can be affordable to ship.

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duckbigtrain t1_iudbysv wrote

Most of the stuff sent to Africa does get bought though, right? imo that’s better than recycling, it’s reusing.

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Andromeda321 t1_iudge2m wrote

I saw a documentary about it and the answer is definitely no. Africa has so many secondhand clothes sent there the buyers are quite discerning and won’t wear rags any more than you would.

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analog_stuff t1_iudceuk wrote

The people buying the bales are basically gambling on whether or not they get clothes with resale/use value or bales of oily rags and soiled sheets. When people buy these bales they just toss out anything they can’t sell

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ahecht t1_iufc3jk wrote

At least it's not the yellow Planet Aid ones where all the money goes to fund a Danish cult.

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baldymcbaldyface t1_iud1jju wrote

Oh so the trash man is going to pick through my trash bags before dumping them? Stupid idea

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Puzzleheaded_Ad_7204 t1_iud9vmp wrote

Honestly, all trash and recycling should go in one bin. It should go to transfer stations where it is sorted and separated. Makes it a lot easier. Might increase taxes so it’ll make libertarians sad though.

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cowghost OP t1_iudarl3 wrote

Its too difficult as it is. I stoped trying to recycle after discovering that the city i was living in was not recycling anything. Recycling is not real, its corporate fiction that places the burdon of waste managment on the public when it should be the responsibility of the corporation that created the watse to use it again or remove it.

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SouthShoreSerenade t1_iudbch9 wrote

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Plastic recycling is a crapshoot, but paper, metal, and especially glass recycling are all extremely worthwhile.

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SharpCookie232 t1_iudhlfi wrote

Recycling metals is big business. We save up our metal items and bring them to Allied in Walpole. Always leave with a good amount of $$.

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Garethx1 t1_iuduffm wrote

I dont get why people think that because some municipalities suck at recycling it doesnt really exist. Theres entire industries you can go see operations and profitargins here in the US.

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cowghost OP t1_iudf1nn wrote

No, the city i lived in in OH, every thing picked up for recycling went to the trash. Homeless would pick out aluminum cans for scrap before the trucks came.and their were alot of homeless people.....

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pfmiller0 t1_iuds536 wrote

So recycling in your old city in OH isn't real. That doesn't mean recycling in general isn't real. But despite it not being real, apparently the homeless people were still able to recycle cans in your old city.

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ReporterOther2179 t1_iue1vop wrote

For the hundredth time…. Recycling is a market. There is a market for, there are people who will buy and recycle, glass, metals and paper. Recycling of plastics is mostly a shuck. The fiction is pushed by plastics manufacturers for reasons of profit.

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mullethunter111 t1_iudrzk8 wrote

No point to that. Most recycling doesn't get recycled.

−1

Puzzleheaded_Ad_7204 t1_iue6iy1 wrote

That’s true only because of the large amount of plastic in our stream. Metals, paper, and glass are extremely recyclable and sought after.

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BiffNasty1234 t1_iud46i1 wrote

Being honest, if I can’t donate old clothes, they’re still going in the trash

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distrek t1_iud7xnk wrote

All this means is it's getting added to the waste ban list. The way the state DEP words everything is convoluted and confusing.

These waste bans aren't enforced at an individual level. Unless you're a commercial hauler/generator, municipality, or transfer station you won't have to do anything different

The biggest difference you'll probably see as an individual is that getting rid of a mattress will be more expensive than it already is.

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chickadeedadee2185 t1_iufbedv wrote

I am wondering if they can fine a town if there are a lot of textiles in the refuse.

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lovingtech07 t1_iudjm36 wrote

So basically if my clothes are too nasty to donate to the bins then they’re nasty enough to go into the trash. Doesn’t seem like a big change for most of us. This definitely seems like it’s targeting businesses.

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funferalia t1_iueivei wrote

Cut them up. Then they are rags. Not clothing. 😎

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lovingtech07 t1_iueuhu3 wrote

I actually do this a lot with old shirts that are too dirty to donate. They make great rags

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extraaverageguy t1_iud60yc wrote

It is just a feel good law. The clothing donated is Shipped to 3rd world countries where a majority end up in there landfill. Politicians suck!

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plawwell t1_iudfoj5 wrote

It's too expensive to ship our trash overseas and they now don't want it. All trash pickup no matter what the pretense ends up in landfill nowadays. This is especially the case with recycling.

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dejanigma t1_iudz4qc wrote

Lots of complaints about "well what do I do with a mattress now?". I've lived in Worcester and Northborough and both places have easy-to-purchase tags for $10 that will take bulk items when the trash truck comes around once a week. It really couldn't be easier than that. Maybe a lot of towns don't have that option?

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doublesecretprobatio t1_iuhl3h4 wrote

> and both places have easy-to-purchase tags for $10 that will take bulk items

worcester does NOT have this. any large/bulk item like this that isn't taken at the transfer station needs to be picked up by Casella by appointment. a mattress costs $28.

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Zaius1968 t1_iudj4ee wrote

What’s in my trash bag is my business. This is entirely unenforceable. Good luck MA.

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Treefrogprince t1_iue7swu wrote

TIL: The next house I buy won’t just have metal bed frames buried in the back yard. The mattresses will be buried there, too.

4

DrOblivion5550 t1_iud4bp2 wrote

Rules like this one are damn stupid! The State should have established a way we can get rid of this stuff. I loved the remark take it back to the retailers, they will recycle it. I really doubt anyone would want old Sketchers (shoes) - what are they doing to do them.

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pfmiller0 t1_iudsk34 wrote

They grind up the rubber in old shoes for various purposes like playground and athletic field surfaces.

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DrOblivion5550 t1_iuex4g9 wrote

That's all very nice but the Town BoH hasn't issued any rules nor have they figured out what we are to do with them. And until that happens, it will all end up in the garbage can.

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pfmiller0 t1_iuf5ofw wrote

This doesn't seem to be really targeting individuals anyways since any well used shoes would be excluded due to being too dirty.

1

Ok_Entrepreneur_dbl t1_iudhxya wrote

So I will be curious how they manage that! Apartment complexes that have dumpsters where people throw everything and the kitchen sink into the trash! Or if you throw something in the trash is someone going to search through your trash bags?

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cowghost OP t1_iudi6ry wrote

The trash is so dumb at my building its like 1/2 mile down the hall no joke, and then there is no plan for large iteims.

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Sloth_are_great t1_iudnu00 wrote

This just makes life harder for people with disabilities.

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End3rWi99in t1_iufqyoh wrote

If you read the actual text of this it applies to businesses, institutions, and municipalities. This doesn't apply to residential waste, nor would it even be enforceable if it were. You are still 100% free to toss those old socks in the wastebin.

3

Nonsheeple_Funnyluv t1_iudmz3h wrote

Ok, i can’t even find a used clothing bin anymore. They used to be everywhere. There had better be some way to recycle the stuff that isn’t wearable.

2

PabloX68 t1_iud6jdz wrote

So if I have a mattress contaminated with bodily fluids, like sweat, I can throw it out in the trash, but a clean mattress has to be recycled?

EDIT: from the FAQ "A: If a mattress cannot be recycled because it is contaminated as noted in the definition above; it is not subject to the waste ban and can be disposed as solid waste. This can mean that it can be sent to any solid waste disposal facility or handling facility."

This is fucking stupid.

1

SouthShoreSerenade t1_iudclld wrote

Why is it stupid? It doesn't affect consumers in any way. Your old mattress is contaminated no matter what. All it does is prevent unsold mattresses from being thrown out.

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SharpCookie232 t1_iudi1js wrote

Right? It's an excellent law that will prevent some of the incredibly wasteful practices that business are currently following. This is government doing its job. We need to reduce / reuse / recycle so that we don't all die.

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PabloX68 t1_iudmu4x wrote

It’s stupid because it’s not going to make much of a difference. Hardly any unused mattresses are thrown away.

0

Foxcecil t1_iug47s2 wrote

Fast fashion is an environmental disaster. Next time you see that 7.99 jacket made from recycled plastic bottles, think of the huge environmental effect it has being produced in countries that have lac pollution control and think about where it will be in a few months - in the trash.

1

highlander666666 t1_iufirq8 wrote

Just read that in A neighborhood news letter , Somewhat state going do have trash police? How do that stop it?? It will work bout as good as pick up ya dogs poop laws or no dogs of leash in parks No dogs allowed in cemetery rules

0

GretaJanine t1_iudagyh wrote

🤣 more mattress and furniture decorating the neighborhoods! Fantastic job Massachusetts… what a joke!

−1

norestforthewickeds t1_iud7xdf wrote

Why wouldn’t they just have the waste removal company recycle the stuff? Oh that’s right…mass just wants to find another way to get into your wallet.

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Murky_Ad_5786 t1_iud2k2q wrote

If you expect the government to make your life easier you will always be upset

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[deleted] t1_iudg1jq wrote

Just shut the fuck up with that ape brained nothing-argument-tactic you idiots use

Propose something or shut the fuck up and hide away in your irrelevance if you’re not going to solve a problem, ok Kevin?

3

Garethx1 t1_iudv0e8 wrote

I guess your life hasnt been made easier by being literate by the public school system. Roads dont make your life easier by not having to travel over unpaved surfaces... Gtfoh

2

[deleted] t1_iud1rdh wrote

[removed]

−28

cowghost OP t1_iud26nr wrote

I moved from Ohio here and its so much better. I would never, ever go back to a red state. They had shit like this but worse if you were a worker. I used to work 9 hours a day as a teacher with no legal lunch break.

There is no extra fee that i saw, and honesty its a step to start to fix a legit problem with waste managment but they need to have infistructure in place. Like have textile drop boxes at every t station if your going to do this.

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theOGlib t1_iud4s2d wrote

The state has no interest in actually solving the problem, that's why there's no infrastructure. If there was to be infrastructure there would certainly be a fee, which means maybe it wouldn't have passed because people don't want to pay the fee. So, the state passed this law so that people would "feel" like the problem is being addressed and they would go and continue voting for said ridiculousness.

−2