Environmental & Recycling Program

TEXTILES

The U.S. auto industry is now mandated to make certain each new car contains a minimum of 25 percent recycled material. Some of that material comes from U.S. Postal Service mailbags. UNICOR takes the nylon and plastic bags that are not repairable, then bales and sells them to private vendors. The vendors, in turn, make pellets which are sold, among others, to auto industry manufacturers. Because the metal locking cord fasteners can be easily reused "as is," they are collected and returned to the Postal Service.

UNICOR also stretches the use of textiles by collecting scrap from the cutting tables in factories producing battle dress uniforms for the Defense Department. The scrap is baled and sold to recyclers, often winding up as carpeting for automobile trunks.

Many agencies also look to UNICOR to extend the life of items through repair. Just a few of the items restored to prime condition include parachutes, coveralls, battle dress uniforms (BDUs), ponchos/liners, field packs, and sleeping bags. At a time when appropriations seem to shrink yearly, agencies can allocate their resources more effectively by letting UNICOR lengthen the useful lives of many items.