Planet Aid, the 10 year-old non-profit clothes recycler has entered the Pittsburgh market, planting its distinctive yellow recycling bins throughout the city and offering residents greater convenience and more choices when discarding old clothes and other items.

Founded as a Massachusetts non-profit agency in 1997, Planet Aid has expanded across the country, now collecting, bundling and selling more than 70 million pounds of old clothes each year in its 8,500 bins. The organization is dedicated to improving the lives of people in developing countries in Africa and Asia, along with protecting the environment and providing relief aid.

"We want citizens of Pittsburgh to get to know us and when they see our yellow bins they can be sure that their old clothes and other items are supporting worthwhile development programs, as well as helping the environment," said Jenny Kullas, Planet Aid operations manager. "Our phenomenal growth has been the result of the support we receive from members of the communities where we operate and we're looking forward to being part of the Pittsburgh community."

Planet Aid typically forms partnerships with local merchants and institutions that allow it to locate its collection bins on their sites.

The organization, which plans to put 200 bins around the Pittsburgh area, donated more than $5 million to worthy development programs around the world last year. Since 2001, it has been a partner with Johnson & Johnson in support of the fight against the AIDS epidemic in Southern Africa.

For more information, visit the Planet Aid website.

1/11/2008