Planet Aid is a nonprofit organization that collects and recycles used clothing and shoes. Our efforts annually save more than a 100 million pounds of textiles from being dumped in landfills across the United States. We began recycling used clothing in 1997 in the Boston area. Today our clothes collection boxes can be found across 21 states. Our work has been very successful and the clothes we deliver much in demand, but that is not all we do.

1. Fo r t h e En v i r o n m e n t , Fo r Pe o p l e

2. Planet Aid is a nonprofit organization that
collects and recycles used clothing and shoes.
Our efforts annually save more than a 100
million pounds of textiles from being dumped
in landfills across the United States. We began
recycling used clothing in 1997 in the Boston
area. Today our clothes collection boxes can be
found across 21 states. Our work has been very
successful and the clothes we deliver much in
demand, but that is not all we do.
Planet Aid sells the clothing it collects to
distributors in developing countries, who
make it available to customers at a low price.
The proceeds from this sale, in turn, are donated
to help people in developing nations meet basic
needs. For example, the programs we support
Planet Aid sponsors primary school teacher training throughout sub-Saharan Africa and India.
provide nutritious food, a good education, clean water,
care for orphaned children and the sick, and support
for communities being ravaged by the spread of HIV/
AIDS. We have thus combined our work in recycling
with international assistance that helps to improve
living conditions for the world’s neediest people. The
projects we support operate in more than 15 countries,
with annual direct and in-kind contributions exceeding
$15 million and growing.
The combination of recycling and development work
sets Planet Aid apart from other aid organizations. We
believe that our approach of saving the environment
whileservingthepoorhelpstorestoretheglobalbalance
by transferring goods and resources from regions
of surplus to regions of need. It is an approach that
embraces environmental stewardship, while respecting
the link between social and ecological progress.
Recycling for the Planet and Development Projects for the Poor

3. Reusing discarded items from the rich part of
the world as a vehicle to increase income and
improve lives in other parts is good for the
Earth and thus benefits us all.
Ester Neltrup, President
Planet Aid, Inc.

4. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates
that Americans generate 12.5 millions tons of textile
waste each year. Only 10 to 15 percent of this amount
is currently donated to clothing recyclers such as Planet
Aid. Keeping more of this clothing out of landfills and
incinerators will further reduce impacts and lessen
environmental burdens. According to the EPA, 97
percent of the textile waste stream is recyclable.
Along with the environmental benefits of recycling, the
used-clothing trade stimulates a wealth of economic
activity. In markets and shops around the world,
inexpensive used clothing is in high demand and
vendors run a brisk business. Planet Aid estimates that
its used clothing operation has helped generate close to
30,000 jobs domestically and overseas.
Saving Resources, Creating Good Jobs

5. At Planet Aid we recognize that one person’s trash
is another’s treasure. Our collection bins help to
recapture the value in clothing that would otherwise be
discarded as waste. A used sweater or T-shirt can thus
acquire a second life, providing a small-scale farmer
with protection from the tropical sun or warmth in the
morning’s chill air. In this way, an article of clothing is
imbued with new worth and is cherished by its owner.
The reuse of clothing thus becomes a win for the poor
and a win for the planet.
Harvesting Value

6. Global Organization
The international development programs that Planet Aid supports are based on models
developed by Humana People to People. There are 32 member organizations across
the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Planet Aid’s support for these
programs has extended to 14 countries.

7. In Brazil, Planet Aid supports projects that help improve the
livlihoods of participating families, expanding opportunities
with activities that range from training courses in sustainable
agricultural techniques to garden farming projects that enhance
income and nutritional status.
Community Development
PlanetAid supports a range of community development
projects worldwide. These projects, which are
implemented through member organizations of
the Humana People to People, have ranged from
constructing new wells and latrines to providing
assistance to small businesses.
For example, in India and the Democratic Republic
of the Congo, Planet Aid supports organizations that
provide communities with hand-operated pumps and
water harvest storage tanks, ensuring greater access to
clean sources of water and improved health.
Fo r t h e En v i r o n m e n t , Fo r Pe o p l e

8. Child Aid
As part of our support of community development,
Planet Aid helps to expand Child Aid programs
being implemented by Humana People to People
organizations. Child Aid works to improve
children’s lives by strengthening communities.
Program activities focus on making local
improvements in areas such as hygiene, nutrition,
and preschool education; working to establish
youth clubs, libraries, and committees to support
disadvantaged and at-risk children; and providing
training and other resources to improve family
income. The program also works with the
community to upgrade school buildings and other
infrastructure.
The preschool children pictured below are part
of a “Preschool of the Future” in South Africa.
These preschools teach youngsters ages 4 to 6
from a holistic perspective, focusing on developing
children physically, academically, and emotionally.
The schools’ approach embraces the idea that the
early years are an opportunistic time for young
minds that are very fertile for learning. Child Aid
programs in South Africa have been funded by
Johnson & Johnson. This support has helped create
youth clubs for older children, organize sports
and cultural events, as well as teach life skills and
provide HIV/AIDS prevention awareness.

9. After my husband’s death, I worried about taking care of my
four children. Through Child Aid, my neighbors and I have better
communications — we meet every week and are creating positive
change in our lives.
—Silvia, Child Aid Group Leader in Ecuador

10. Education for the Future
A critical shortage of well-trained teachers and quality
curriculums exists in many developing countries.
Consequently, PlanetAid places a priority on the support
of programs that improve education. In Africa, Planet
Aid supports both vocational training and the education
of primary school teachers through its in-country
partners ADPP Mozambique and DAPP Malawi.
The campus of One World University in Mozambique
The primary school teacher-training is unique in that
it focuses not only on pedagogical skills but also on
assisting teachers in taking an active role in bettering
the communities in which they work. The vocational
training offers both classroom and on-the-job training
in agriculture, carpentry, mechanics, construction,
horticulture, and business management.
In Mozambique, we have taken our support of education to a higher level, establishing a university that offers
bachelor’s degrees that qualify graduates to be instructors at teacher-training colleges. In cooperation with ADPP
Mozambique, the university, which was established with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
received certification from Mozambique’s Council of Ministers.

11. In Malawi and Mozambique, where student-teacher ratios are very high, Planet Aid has helped
to establish and operate 2 teacher-training colleges and supports the operation of 13 others.
Planet Aid alsos support teacher training in Angola, DR Congo, Guinea-Bissau, and India, The
colleges are run in cooperation with the respective ministries of education.

12. Farmers’ Club
Planet Aid supports the Farmers’ Club program, which empowers and
mobilizes farmers to work together on increasing and diversifying crops, implementing
soil and water conservation methods, improving marketing, and devising ways to operate more
efficiently and economically. The core principle of this program recognizes that small-scale
farmers are the backbone of a rural community, and that their success is vital to the health,
prosperity, and well-being of everyone.

13. Farmers’ Clubs are implemented over
a three- to five-year period. During this time, farmers
receive training in sustainable farming methods and cash crop production, and are
introduced to new ways of value-chain processing and marketing. Planet Aid has supported Farmers’
Clubs in Malawi and Mozambique, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

14. Total Control of the Epidemic (TCE)
The HIV/AIDS epidemic has ravaged many parts of the developing
world, orphaning children, further impoverishing families, burdening
health systems, and stifling economic development. With assistance
from Johnson & Johnson and the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Planet Aid has been supporting the TCE program in Sub-Saharan
Africa and India. This ambitious initiative focuses on a rigorous and
systematic campaign to dispel myths, minimize stigma, increase
testing, and ultimately mobilize the community to change the course
of the disease. TCE aims to reach every single person in a specified
geographical area, utilizing a grassroots approach that has been
highly praised by government officials, healthcare professionals,
community leaders, and the individuals and families who benefit
from the program.
“We believe that the TCE model
empowers people and communities to
halt the spread of HIV.”
—Conrad Person, Director
International Programs
and Product Giving
Johnson & Johnson

15. Reach Out, Become a Planet Aid Donor
Planet Aid invites you to help support our programs.
You can make a cash contribution conveniently
online at planetaid.org. We also welcome multi-year
partnerships for foundations and corporations and offer
benefits packages that acknowledge your genrosity.
Benefits include the display of your logo on Planet Aid
collection bins at locations across the United States.
We encourage you to contact us directly for more
information and to visit planetaid.org.
Fo r t h e En v i r o n m e n t , Fo r Pe o p l e

16. Planet Aid 6730 Santa Barbara Court, Elkridge, Maryland 21075
Phone: (410) 796-1510 • dcinfo@planetaid.org • Planetaid.org
Fo r t h e En v i r o n m e n t , Fo r Pe o p l e