The Space Needle has been a fixture on the Seattle skyline for more than 50 years. Its concrete foundation reaches 30 feet underground and weighs 5850 tons (11,700,000 lbs). The needle structure stands 605 feet tall and weighs 3700 tons (7,400,000 lbs).

But there is something in Seattle that weighs more than four times as much as the Space Needle. Your used clothing.

Approximately 39,464 tons (78,928,000 lbs) of used clothing and textiles are disposed in King County, Washington (Seattle metro) annually. This includes used clothing, used shoes, backpacks, belts, linens, pillows, curtains, and other fabrics. That’s 38 lbs for every man, woman and child living in King County.

In 2013 King county LinkUp commissioned a survey to better understand peoples’ textile recycling behaviors. They found that although the majority of Seattle metro residents donate unwanted textiles to charitable organizations and thrift stores, “nearly a quarter of respondents (23.1%) reported putting materials that are in good condition in the trash.”

Remember: Textiles are not trash. With a little research and forethought, you can find organizations that will accept even torn, worn, stained, and mismatched items of used clothing and textiles.

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The Space Needle (base+structure) weighs 9550 tons, or 19,100,000 lbs

Statistics from the Post-Consumer Textiles: King County LinkUp Research Summary Report, April 2014