Gildan (asi/56842) is making it easier to recycle your old socks.

The apparel maker’s Goldtoe socks brand just launched a free recycling program in partnership with international recycling leader TerraCycle. The program will let people recycle used socks from any brand – not just Goldtoe – in return for reward points that can be used as donations to nonprofits, schools or charitable organizations. The socks that are collected will be made into new products.

“We are pleased to partner with TerraCycle to provide customers with an innovative yet simple way to divert waste from landfills by giving new life to their socks,” said Emma Budzisz, vice president of marketing at Gildan. “We believe that clothes should be made with respect from start to finish, and that includes the end-of-life of our garments.”

Socks can be a challenge to recycle, according to Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle. “Through this program, Goldtoe is encouraging consumers to embed responsible practices into their daily lives by cleaning out their drawers and doing some good for the planet and their community, all without compromising convenience.”

The free recycling program is open to any individual, office or community organization. Participants mail in their used socks using a prepaid shipping label that can be found on the TerraCycle website. Once collected, the fabrics are separated by type – polyester, cotton, etc. – and reused, upcycled or recycled as appropriate. The socks should be clean and dry before they’re mailed in, according to TerraCycle.

For every shipment of socks received, TerraCycle rewards points that can be redeemed in the form of a donation to a nonprofit or school of the user’s choice. Each shipment earns 100 points per pound, with each point redeemable for one cent in donations, according to TerraCycle’s website. TerraCycle notes that so far it’s raised more than $45 million globally for schools and charities through the recycling efforts of users. To participate in Goldtoe’s free recycling program, visit the website here.

Goldtoe’s partnership with TerraCycle is one of Gildan’s sustainability initiatives. The apparel maker, which sells extensively in the promotional products and decorated apparel space, has earned a spot on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI) for the last 10 years in a row thanks to its strong work on environmental, social and governance practices. The Montreal-headquartered company also recently was named one of the 100 most sustainable companies in the world by Corporate Knights. Last year, Gildan announced a new set of goals aimed at further advances in different sustainability areas, including circularity.

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