A leader in the recycled textiles industry, USAgain LLC works with a mission to conserve natural resources while helping those who live in limited means acquire needed clothing. Founded in 1999 by company President Janice Bostic, USAgain currently manages collection bins across 15 states. USAgain is a for-profit company employing more than 220 people at its headquarters in West Chicago, Illinois, and throughout the 11 regional offices.

As owner of USAgain, Janice Bostic is instrumental in setting the company’s path. She has guided USAgain with environmental stewardship as a core value. Textiles, both natural and synthetic, require tremendous amounts of resources to process. In the United States, the typical consumer buys 66 pounds of clothing and household linens a year, yet only a small fraction is recycled or reused. USAgain addresses this unnecessary use of resources by encouraging recycling with its conveniently located collection bins.

In 2010, USAgain collected over 56 million pounds of clothing donated at the more than 10,000 collection sites. USAgain then sells the apparel to thrift stores, wholesalers, and textile recyclers. Since USAgain sells much of its collected textiles abroad, it is able to offer good quality, affordable clothing to those who live on less than $2 per day. Domestically, the clothing collected by USAgain provides inventory for second-hand clothing stores, contributing to local economies and creating jobs. All of this is in addition to driving sustainability through recycling.

Before starting USAgain, Janice Bostic earned a degree in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University and started her first company. The business marketed Central American agricultural products in the United States. Ms. Bostic’s first company shared the same values of environmental awareness and sustainable business models that have propelled the success of USAgain.