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Upscale resale: Recycling high-end fashions, funding patient care

Opening day in 2022 of the Renewal: Upscale Resale shop in the Hunt Valley Town Centre in Cockeysville, MD. Run by the non-profit Women's Board of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, its sales of used designer and vintage clothing and fashion accessories help fund a variety of patient-care projects, from children's clinics to women's breast cancer treatment centers. (image courtesy Womens' Board)
Opening day in 2021 of the Renewal: Upscale Resale shop in the Hunt Valley Town Centre in Cockeysville, MD. Run by the non-profit Women's Board of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, its sales of used designer and vintage clothing and fashion accessories help fund a variety of patient-care projects, from children's clinics to women's breast cancer treatment centers. The Board also operates the Carry On resale shop on East Monument Street in Baltimore and two coffee bars in Johns Hopkins Hospital. (image courtesy Womens' Board)

If you’ve just joined us today, it’s Midday on the Environment. More than 6% of waste in the US comes from household textiles.

The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association, or SMART, a network of companies involved in fabric recycling, says that 95% of textiles can be reused or recycled. Old curtains, towels, sheets, shoes, stuffed animals and more can all be turned into new stuff.

Second-hand designer women's fashion and accessories on display at the Renewal: Upscale Resale store in Cockeysville. (courtesy photo)
Second-hand designer women's fashion and accessories on display at the Renewal: Upscale Resale store in Cockeysville. (courtesy photo)

And when it comes to clothes, what better way to recycle them than to have someone else wear them?

Forbes Magazine reports that in 2021, the global market value of secondhand clothes was $96 billion.

Joining Tom now are two volunteers with the Women’s Board of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, which runs stores downtown and in Cockeysville that sell secondhand clothes to raise money for a range of patient-care services at the hospital.

Susan Flax Posner is a volunteer at Renewal: Upscale Resale at the Hunt Valley Town Centre in Cockeysville.

Joan Quinn volunteers at the Carry On Shop on East Monument Street, on the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus in Baltimore…

Susan Posner and Joan Quinn join Tom in Studio A.

(L-R) Susan Flax Posner is a volunteer at the Renewal: Upscale Resale shop; Joan Quinn works at the Women's Board's Carry On resale store. (courtesy photos)
(L-R) Susan Flax Posner is a volunteer at the Renewal: Upscale Resale shop; Joan Quinn works at the Women's Board's Carry On resale store. (courtesy photos)

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Host, Midday (M-F 12:00-1:00)
Teria is a Supervising Producer on Midday.
Rob is a contributing producer for Midday.