Discarded clothing and shoes contribute almost six percent of our solid waste, filling up our landfills and even redistributed to other countries. And while the environmentally conscious in all of us are quick to think about recycling our plastics and paper, clothing is rarely in the forefront of our minds when we think of waste.
Every year, the average American throws away close to 68 pounds of clothing and other textiles, according to the Council for Textile Recycling. 100 percent of those textiles could be recovered or recycled.
There are many ways you can keep clothing and other textiles out of landfills. You can start by extending the life of your existing clothing with some forethought and a little maintenance. Instead of dry cleaning your clothes, try gently washing them by hand at home. The perchloroethylene is a solvent commonly used by dry cleaners and is not only toxic to humans but also to the water supply. Delicate fabrics like silk and rayon can be gently washed with mild baby soap and without wringing out, should be patted and hung dry. Wool can be cared for by spot cleaning with gentle soap and if wet, laid flat on a towel then let to dry. Shoes can be repaired and made new by bringing them to a local shoe repair.
Recycling your clothes is another option. There are numerous textile recovery companies but be careful and do your research when donating to some of these. Some of these textiles are shipped off to be resold to third world countries. These countries then have the burden of disposing of what was passed on to them.
Other recycling options that will benefits others more directly and give textiles a second life is by donating to non-profits, local thrift stores or charitable organizations such as Salvation Army or a local church or homeless shelter. Old towels and sheets can also be donated to animal shelters. Freecycle is a group that offers free events and has an online site to post and give your unwanted clothing for others to take, think of it like a Craigslist for recycling. Their website hosts many local freecycle groups locally and nationally, so you are sure to find one in your area: Swap-O-rama Rama hosts events in the U.S. where you can swap your clothes with others and even alter them on the spot.
Responsible buying can also change your shopping habits. Think twice before purchasing new clothing and consider its life span before making those impulse buys. Basic production and manufacturing of clothing and textiles adds to rising carbon emissions and continued oil dependency. If you extend the life of your existing clothes, and reduce shopping for new ones, it can make a big difference.
With a little conservatism and less consumerism, you can help keep tons of unwanted clothing from taking up land space and adding to our growing garbage problem. In the end, the clothes we throw out don't really go away when they are carted out of sight. They come back to us in imperceptible ways, in our landfills and environment, and in the quality of the air we breathe. Nearly everything we throw out, even our used t-shirts or socks can be reused just by bringing them to people who need them.
Source: BecauseAction.com
