Frequently asked questions

WHAT DO YOU TAKE?

CMCR accepts gently used clothing and shoes for recycling. Clothing must not be wet or moldy. Shoes must be wearable and paired with rubber bands or by other means. Shoes should be placed in their own separate bag. We also take gently used household items boxed up, such as toys, home decor, books and music, kitchenware, bathroom, garage and outdoor products.

CAN YOU ACCEPT?

Microwaves, TV’s, computer monitors, furniture, exercise as well as baby equipment?

No, we generally cannot accept these items or items that most thrift stores will not accept as donations, starting with the items above and including live animals and plants, weapons, paints, chemicals and more. Email us if you have specific questions.

DO YOU PAY FOR CLOTHING OR MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS?

Generally, no. Unfortunately, the cost of labor and fuel prohibits us from paying for smaller, residential pickups. The relatively low market value of items combined with high fuel and labor costs inhibits our ability to pay. However, we are known to compensate in modest ways for entire box truck loads and of course semi-loads of product.

WHERE DO YOU MAKE PICK UPS?

We operate in greater Minnesota, the metro, western Wisconsin, eastern North Dakota and southern Iowa. Our weekly pickup routes extend out in a (3) three hour radius from St. Cloud. We do have supply partners outside this general region, but visits are usually less frequent and for large loads only.

HOW CAN I SCHEDULE A PICKUP?

Contact Jai at 320-293-4456 or email us today!

WHAT IF MY STORE OR ORGANIZATION CAN FILL A SEMI TRAILER?

Great! We can help. We can arrange a semi trailer to be delivered to your location for loading, and we can pay you for your clothing based on the poundage, current market value and costs. For us, every supplier scenario is slightly different in terms of logistics, quality of clothing and volume. The amount we can pay fluctuates based on these factors. If your recycling needs are on-going and you can fill one or more trailers every three months, we can spot one in your dock so that you can fill it at your convenience. Trailer swapping is a free service to you!

CAN WE RECYCLE WITH YOU EVEN THOUGH WE ARE NOT IN MN, IA OR WI?

Yes, the easiest way is to fill a semi-trailer. It takes some human power at the time of loading, but if you are able to “live-load” a trailer in 2 hours or less, we can arrange and pay for all the logistics to get it to our warehouse in Minnesota. We can pay you for clothing with volumes this high! Semi trailers usually measure 53’L x 8’W x 8’H and if loaded with loose, bagged clothing, (2,000+ bags), they can accommodate up to 35,000 lbs if loaded to the ceiling and the back. Call us to arrange a pick if you have space to store that much clothing!

ARE YOU A NON-PROFIT? IF I MAKE A DONATION OF CLOTHING, CAN I GET A RECEIPT?

No, we are a privately owned textile wholesaler. We can accept your items and give them a new home, but we cannot give tax receipts since your recyclables are “technically” not considered donations.

I AM AN ONLINE RESELLER. CAN I COME TO YOUR FACILITY AND PICK AND PAY DIRECTLY FROM YOUR RECYCLING STREAM?

Central Minnesota Clothing Resource has been receiving a growing volume of requests for this type of access. The option we are considering is to sell our high-volume, unsorted, used clothing and shoes in quantities smaller than a semi trailer, such as for example, by the bale, or pickup load. Currently, we are not set up for this. But we are considering the idea of “micro sales” to online sellers and used apparel retailers! This would entail the opening of a facility in Central Minnesota designed to accommodate resellers who need to pick up smaller quantities, or who would prefer to purchase and then pick through/mine their purchase directly onsite, leaving the left overs.

We have a lot of questions to answer as part of our research, and if you are an online seller or a specialty-clothing retailer, we want to hear from you. Please follow this link to our current survey and answer each question to the best of your knowledge. We need your feedback!

Participants who complete this survey will be the first contacted if we proceed to open a wholesale facility of this type. Thank you in advance for your help and please stay tuned!