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Spring Greening Chicago

Spring Greening

Clothing recycling can be complicated—Cradles to Crayons makes it easy and impactful.

Every year, Americans throw out more than 17 million tons of used textiles. The majority of these products get sent to landfills—when most items could go back into use.

Our Spring Greening initiative highlights our commitment to serving people and the planet. Cradles to Crayons diverts thousands of pounds of clothing from landfills every year in Chicagoland, redistributing these new and gently used clothing essentials back into use locally and decreasing the overall carbon footprint for these critical clothing resources. Through our Chicago Giving Factory, we’re getting high-quality clothing directly into the hands of children to meet their growing needs.

Clothing donations are the backbone of our efficient and effective model that provides a million packages of clothing essentials every year. Responsible clothing recycling can be complicated—but Cradles to Crayons provides an easy, tangible, and effective way to ensure your donation goes directly to kids in our communities and supports sustainability at the same time.

Why Support Spring Greening?

  • 1 in 2 children in Chicagoland are at risk of Clothing Insecurity.
  • The average number of wears for an article of clothing has declined 36% in the last 15 years, due to poorer clothing quality, changes in spending priorities, and increased consumption habits.
  • Extending the lifespan of clothes by three months decreases its environmental impact by 5–10%.

Ways to Support Spring Greening

Spring Greening Event

Saturday, April 18, 2026  |  9:00 – 11:00 AM

Cradles to Crayons is hosting our first Spring Greening Event right in our Giving Factory parking lot! We will be collecting clothing, shoes, and other materials, thanks to our friends and community partners. This is a great opportunity to safely recycle your unwanted items and keep them out of landfills! Click here for a full list of the items we’ll be accepting.