How to prevent textile waste
The amount of textile waste in the US has grown tremendously over the last couple of decades. The US contributes about 15 million tons of textiles to the landfills each year. This is particularly depressing given that up to 95% of textiles could be diverted from the landfills with recycling and reuse efforts. (See smartasn.org for more information on textile waste and recycling).
The fashion industry is a major contributor to this waste, especially fast fashion brands that make cheap, not-built-to-last articles of clothing (e.g., Forever 21, Top Shop – see Newsweek’s 9/9/2016 article about fast fashion). Typically the clothes from these stores don’t sell as well at second-hand shops, and can end up donated overseas where their poor quality makes them less desirable as well.
As someone who is introducing textiles into the world, I;m particularly concerned about keeping my textiles (and others) out of the landfill. Luckily, there are many ways to keep them out of the waste stream and in circulation. Here’s my top ten ways to keep textiles like clothes and household fabrics out of the landfill:
No Trace’s 10 list for how to prevent textile waste & keep textiles out of the landfill:
- Shop less, buy quality, and extend the life of your clothes and household textiles.
- Buy secondhand whenever possible.
- Buy from companies that recycle their products or used recycled materials (e.g., Patagonia, Eileen Fisher, and Insecta are some).
- Purchase 100% natural fiber fabrics (e.g., cotton, wool, hemp), rather than synthetic fabrics, which can be composted at the end of their lifecycle. Purchase organic when you can as well.
- Repurpose your textiles into something functional like a bag, bin, or a t-shirt quilt once they’re worn out or outgrown.
- Find a fabric recycler near you: smartasn.org has resources Terracycle.com also recycles fabrics for a fee.
- Find an artist, local art organization, art school, or even an animal shelter that might be interested in donations.
- Re-purpose your worn or stained items into handkerchiefs, paper towels, wash clothes, and rags for use around the house.
- Donate your gently used things to a second hand store. Note that these donations, if they don’t sell, can end up in the landfill. Estimates range from only 20% all the way to 75% of donated clothes are resold. (See Newsweek’s 9/9/2016 article for details).
- Compost as a very last resort if it is 100% natural fibers – shred it first and remove any buttons or zippers.
I hope this list helps! I’m making efforts to reduce my textile waste. I’d love to hear from you – what are you going to do to reduce your textile footprint?
Thanks for reading!
Liz at No Trace
