Don’t throw that old baseball jersey away.

Area residents are asked to donate usable, unwanted clothing to local resale stores instead of including it in household garbage, said Jan Calkins, a Salvation Army employee.

The Resource Recovery Plant does not want textiles of any kind included in household garbage, she said. Remnants of these articles are chewed up into rags and can damage machine parts.

“We do not accept rags,” Calkins said. “All donated clothing must be in reusable condition or we have to pay to dispose of the article.”

Clothing donation drops include the Salvation Army Thrift Store, 411 Kellogg St., or Goodwill, 3718 Lincoln Way, next to Hy-Vee. Both donation drops accept all reusable clothing, Calkins said.

Clothing may be dropped off at the Salvation Army Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those donating to the Salvation Army should drive into the alley south of the store and enter the only door on the right.

“We send about half-a-truck load of merchandise to Des Moines for redistribution once a day in the summer,” Calkins said. The heaviest drop off days are Friday, Saturday, and Monday, he said.

Goodwill hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. People donating to Goodwill should go to the back of their building and ring the bell.

The Resource Recovery Plant has a textiles bin for Ames residents who have a quantity of rags for disposal. Fees for disposal at the plant are $6.50 per carload, and $18 per pickup load. Items from the textiles bin are sent to the landfill.