PEABODY — Peabody School Committee member Jarrod Hochman said it’s time to review the school system’s textile recycling partnership with Bay State Textiles and replace the current donation bins located at Peabody public schools with one’s provided by Planet Aid.
Bay State Textiles has been a partner with the Peabody public schools since 2013 and has bins on school property where textiles, including shoes, clothing, pocket books, linens, stuffed animals, etc., can be donated and then recycled.
Based on the weight of the donations when they are collected, Bay State Textiles then generates revenue for Parent Teacher Organizations. Since 2013 Bay State Textiles has helped generate $31,100 in revenue for Peabody PTOs.
Hochman said during this week’s School Committee meeting he is grateful for what Bay State Textiles has provided over the years, but believes the Planet Aid can provide the same services while also going above and beyond in other areas for the community.
“My question would be, what else has (Bay State Textiles) done for Peabody?” Hochman said. “What not-for-profits has Bay State Textiles donated money to? I think Bay State Textiles has done what they agreed to do since the partnership started in 2013. But they haven’t done anything beyond that.
“(Planet Aid), on their own initiative has donated to No Child Goes Hungry in Peabody,” Hochman said. “They donated several hundred backpacks with food to us, on their own initiative. I thought that initiative was something that was worth rewarding.”
Committee member Beverley Ann Griffin Dunne showed her support for keeping on Bay State Textiles as a partner, noting there is no requirement for the organization to do more than what was agreed upon.
“I think that as far as asking groups to donate to others, that’s a conversation for a totally different policy or requirement of anyone working with us,” Dunne said.
During the public participation discussion at the Tuesday meeting, Peabody Councilor-At-Large Tom Rosignoll, a member of the Green Peabody Committee, showed his support for Bay State Textiles over Planet Aid.
“I can tell you on numerous occasions (Bay State Textiles) has picked up at a moment’s notice,” Rossignoll said. “They’ve paid timely, ahead of time when there was a need. They have a AAA rating from the better business bureau.
“Just as a point of reference the American Institute of Philanthropy’s Charity Watch group has given the organization of Planet Aid an F rating in its charitable spending. I’d rather stick with a company that has grown with us as a city (Bay State Textiles).”
The Committee is taking in the discussion from Tuesday night’s meeting and will move on from there in deciding whether to keep on Bay State Textiles.
“It’s not that (Bay State Textiles) is doing a bad job,” Hochman said. “I’m for what it is they do. But at the time that their organization came to Peabody there was no bidding process. We didn’t look at any other collectors of textiles and bins. I just thought it was appropriate to review this. If the will of the committee is to stay with Bay State Textiles, than that’s the will of the committee.”
