Environmental Sustainability

As global concern about textile waste and sustainable practices continues to grow, One Warm Coat is proud to be part of the solution, offering a nationwide option for fashion circularity with programs that reduce waste and maximize the lifespan of outerwear.

Since 1992, One Warm Coat’s programs have provided warmth to people in need while promoting environmental sustainability and keeping more than 20 million pounds of textiles out of landfills.

Giving Coats A Second Life

Coats, jeans, and dresses take the most carbon to produce. In the US1, clothes are only worn for around a quarter of the global average2 with nearly 60% of all clothing, or 3 in 5 garments3, ending up in landfills or incinerated every year.

If each item of clothing was worn twice as many times, greenhouse gas emission would be 44% lower3. Our Coat Drive Program provides a second life for gently worn coats. Coat drive organizers across the country collect gently worn coats and deliver them directly to one of One Warm Coat’s nonprofit partner organizations in their community. Each year the Coat Drive Program keeps nearly 1 million pounds of clothing out of landfills and extends the lifespan of nearly 500,000 coats.

For coats that have holes or stains or just aren’t suitable for re-wear, One Warm Coat offers a textile recycling option through our friends at Retold Recycling. Retold accepts textiles and recycles them to ensure they don’t end up in a landfill.

Learn About the Coat Drive Program

Working with The Fashion Industry to Reduce Waste

Through the Zero Waste Initiative, One Warm Coat works with retailers and manufacturers to up-cycle outerwear items that would otherwise be discarded (overstock, irregulars, and samples), which is a crucial step in achieving circularity in the fashion industry.

One Warm Coat will help you achieve your ESG goals, receive tax benefits, and share warmth in your community.

Learn About the Zero Waste Initiative