Raising money by recycling

MARENGO — Two large green bins have taken up residence outside Iowa Valley Elementary School.

The metal monsters wait for old clothes, shoes and linens that will raise money for the Iowa Valley Elementary parent teacher organization while recycling textiles that would otherwise get dumped in the landfill.

Clothes Bin is a registered trademark of an eco-friendly company based in Florida. Its mission is to help the environment “by providing a convenient way for people to dispose of unwanted clothes and shoes” so as to have “a positive impact on local landfills and the global environment,” its website says.

The Iowa Valley PTO is working with a Clothes Bin franchise in Des Moines. “They give us a commission,” said PTO member Stacie Christner. “Whatever they sell, they’ll take a percentage, and they give a percentage to the school.”

Unlike donations to Goodwill, the items collected by Clothes Bin can be stained and worn out, said Christner. “They take this stuff, and they recycle it.” Cloth can be cut from stained and frayed clothing to make wash clothes. Old shoes can be ground up to make surfaces for playgrounds, she said.

Clothes Bin will take items in good shape as well. They can be sold to resale shops, Christner said.

Christner found the fundraising opportunity accidentally. “I actually went to the BGM school district for a basketball game and noticed they had these green bins out there,” said Christner. She visited the website and input her information to start the process.

Marengo residents can drop clothing, footwear, undergarments, accessories, handbags and linens into the bins at Iowa Valley Elementary. The pants, dresses, shirts, sneakers, boots, bras and underwear, hats, belts scarves, backpacks, wallets, towels, sheets and blankets can be placed in the bins without being separated into categories.

The bins are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The money raised for the PTO will help with expenses for field trips, special activities and reward days for students. “We probably spend about $10,000 a year on our students at Iowa Valley,” said Christner.

The PTO also buys items from teachers’ wish lists, and the organization is looking into purchasing playground equipment that is more accessible to children with disabilities, Christner said.