Clothing Baling

Bend's Community Center is launching a used clothes baling operation at our new warehouse at 350 SW Industrial Way. Why and how are we doing this?

Last year, it is estimated that the US spent over $300 billion on new clothing. To clear space for fresh fashion, the average American got rid of 68 pounds of clothing and textiles. This all adds up to billions of bags of used clothing that is donated to thrift stores. About half the garments donated eventually wind up in overseas market stalls or as industrial fiber. Between 1999 and 2003, the U.S. exported nearly 7 billion pounds of used clothing and worn textiles, an overflow that otherwise would have been dumped in local landfills.

These figures don’t surprise us at all. Since BCC opened its own thriftstore in the summer of 2008, we have received literally tens of thousands of pounds of excess clothing that will never make it onto the showroom floor that could be baled and sold abroad. There is currently a successful clothes baling operation in Redmond (at the Opportunity Foundation of Central Oregon), one in Prineville (at St Vincent de Paul), and Goodwill sends excess clothing to its own clothes baling operation in Eugene. But, there is currently no clothes baling operation in Bend. The BCC clothes baling operation will accomplish several goals and be consistent with BCC's desire to find creative solutions to community challenges:

Increase job training options - a clothes baling operation will provide important work experience for up to 3 part-time staff (i.e. sorting and loading clothes, operating the forklift, heavy equipment maintenance, marketing service to other thriftstores and the community, working with the landfill on a diversion project - see below)

Keep hundreds of tons of used clothing out of the landfill - thriftstores typically send hundreds of pounds of used clothing to the dump every single day. Having a formal clothes baling operation in Bend will provide a great opportunity for BCC (and other local thriftstores) to get rid of excess clothing instead of having to drive it to the landfill and pay dumping fees. We will also work with the County to establish a program at the landfill for people to drop off clothes that we will pick up.

It will help move BCC closer to self-sustainability - a successful clothes baling operation will provide a small source of revenue that can be used to help pay the lease and support the other social service programs offered by BCC

A Big Thank You to several local businesses and agencies that helped launch the BCC clothes baling operation:

Bend Garbage and Recycling - donated baling machine
Deschutes County - $10,000 start-up grant
US Bank - $4,250 start-up grant
Bank of the Cascades - $750 start-up grant

How to Contact and/or Find Us
BCC Warehouse (for Clothes Baling and Diaper Bank)
350 SW Industrial Way
Bend, OR 97702
Phone: not yet