More than five million workers in the United States wear a uniform produced by Cintas, and now the world-wide garment manufacturer is collaborating with international not-for-profit group Know Hope to donate unused textiles to be recycled into bags and accessories sold to raise money for families living in impoverished and developing nations.

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cintas Corporation will provide materials not used in the production of its uniforms to be used as lining in Know Hope’s reusable cloth bags. Funds from the sale of the bags go to help needy families in Haiti, Mexico, and Guatemala. Know Hope sold over four thousand three hundred bags and two thousand five hundred textile-based accessories in 2013.

The typical United States resident throws away close to seventy pounds of unwanted or outdated textiles each year, but for garment manufacturers the number of textiles disposed of in landfills is even higher. By partnering with Know Hope, Cintas can embrace its strategic plan of corporate sustainability, help developing communities, and reduce their disposal fees all at the same time.

Currently in the US, seventy five percent of textile waste generated by manufacturers is recycled, donated, or disposed of in an environmentally aware manner. The textile recycling industry in the US is responsible for close to seventeen thousand jobs.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Unwanted and unusable textiles are one of the easiest waste materials to recycle. Whether it’s donating clothing, towels, or linens that can be re-used by another or re-selling large quantities of scrap material for use in the production of new items such as carpets, furniture stuffing or insulation, disposing of textiles in a landfill is bad for the environment and your bottom line!