Broadway Green Alliance Hosts HALLOGREEN Textile Drive & Costume Swap Today

The Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) is sponsoring "Hallogreen" a textile drive and costume swap for the theater industry and fans today, October 29th from 10:00am-2:00pm in Duffy Square at 46th Street and Broadway. The collection drive is open to all shows, theaters, industry members and fans to donate clothing, accessories, and household items in an effort to keep Broadway green.

Past textile drive efforts garnered donations from the casts and crew of 20 shows, numerous costume shops and theater related businesses, and theater patrons on their way to Wednesday matinees. The efforts yielded 4,600 pounds of materials in 2013.

Wearable Collections, a clothing recycling company, will repurpose or recycle 96% of all donations. Accepted items include: all used and clean clothing, including paired shoes, handbags, belts, hats, as well as stained/ripped/broken clothing, and household and backstage items: curtains, linens, and towels. Carpeting is not accepted.

Wearable Collections will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Broadway Green Alliance to aid in the BGA's efforts to make Broadway greener. Although the BGA will not be distributing receipts for tax deductions, the IRS will allow donators to claim up to $500 worth of clothing donations without a receipt.

"At BGA we want to give members of the theatre community the opportunity to keep tons of used costumes, towels, sheets and other textiles out of landfills," says BGA coordinator Rebekah Sale. "This year we have partnered again with Wearable Collections, a company that in 2013 diverted 2 million pounds of textiles. With their help, we are continuing to make Broadway greener."

During a recent e-waste collection on September 17, in Duffy Square, the Broadway Green Alliance and Electronic Recyclers International collected more than 8,800 pounds of electric waste.

Industry members unable to attend the event are welcome to drop off their textiles at one of three locations: TWU Local 764 at 545 West 45th Street, Actors' Equity Association at 1560 Broadway (14th Floor), or the Broadway Green Alliance (BGA) office, Suite 1312 of the Equity Building (1560 Broadway) during regular business hours.