“Ready, Set, Go! I’m ready to move my family’s clothes along… but where? Oh, and those old sheets and towels that are worn; I hate throwing them in the garbage. ARGH!”
“Reuse Reduce Recycle” these are familiar words from the Green Team… but how do they apply when the items are TEXTILES?
Textiles placed into landfills are a serious environmental concern. Natural fibers can take years to decompose in landfills and can release greenhouse gases as they do so. Synthetic textiles are designed not to decompose at all and can leach toxic substances into the soil and groundwater while in landfills.
Reuse:
Many thrift stores as well as non-profits like our own Sonoma FISH accept clean usable clothing, bed linens and towels. As donors, we can thank our items for serving us (see Marie Kondo!) and donate them. As consumers, we can purchase used items from thrift stores instead of purchasing new products, while benefiting the non-profits that operate them. Zerowastesonoma.gov. lists local resources.
Reduce:
Solutions to fashion waste? We can buy secondhand clothing, make our wardrobes last longer, and consume fewer quantities of clothing. Georgina Wilson-Powell author of Is It Really Green? recommends adhering to the 30 wears rule: “To work off the clothes’ carbon emissions created during production, you need to wear it 30 times. If you don’t think you’ll get that out of it, don’t buy it,” she says. Some suggest that when you do go shopping for new textiles, consider sustainable alternatives, i.e. textiles that are high-quality and can last you a long time, prioritizing cotton rather than synthetics.
Recycle:
For textiles that cannot be reused, such as those that are soiled, torn, or too worn for others to use, or scraps, an option is to send them to a recycling company. After used textiles are given to a recycling company, they are sorted by material and color, processed to pull or shred them into raw fibers, thoroughly cleaned, re-spun into new textiles, or reused to make rags, insulation, automobile cushions, carpet padding and baseball filling to name a few.
Companies like For Days and Retold Recycling provide convenient options for anyone, anywhere in the US. You purchase a bag, ($20/$15), holding 15 lbs., fill it, attach a return label and take it to your local post office for free shipping. A third company, Subset turns old intimates into padding and insulation. With For Days, in return, you get a $30 credit toward an item of your choice from their web site.
So, Ready, Set, Go
Recycle Symbol Source: Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Recylce_Symbol.png
Written by: Nancy Schiller, St. Andrew Green Team
