WPIX NEWSROOM

6:28 p.m. EDT, June 3, 2010
NEW YORK (WPIX)—
When the trash is thrown out each night in Manhattan's Fashion District, the treasure hunt begins. PIX 11 News Reporter Greg Mocker found people looking through garbage bags for clothes and fabric. He even found some of those items himself in open bags along West 35th Street, including shoes.

Mocker traced the trash back to distributors in the area. One business told him the items had been placed their by mistake. The shoe company said it regularly throws away mismatched or damaged footwear. Mocker found a charity called "Kids In Distressed Situations" that took the bag of shoes from him and notified the company that the charity accepts donations of any wearable item (even mismatched shoes) for children who may have been in accidents.

The area has a reputation for glamorous garbage. Earlier this year, the clothing giant H&M was caught throwing out unused clothing that had been purposely slashed to prevent resale.

Greg Mocker wants to hear from you. Email him: pixinvestigates@wpix.com