I’ve worked in fashion long enough to know this isn’t a simple problem. What I found interesting about this article wasn’t the existence of textile waste. It was the scale of it. Sometimes seeing something with your own eyes teaches you more than a hundred sustainability reports.
Thank you so much for sharing, you're right that more people need to see these facilities.
I haven't been to one myself, but I've been to many warehouses and stockrooms that are overflowing with garments, some which stay in these places for years before eventually reaching these kinds of facilities. I think you're right that if more people knew just how many clothes exist on the planet, they'd hopefully be a bit more discerning.
Wow, it's like a giant version of my sister's storage closet (which is getting donated for someone at the bins to sort through rather than thrown out or sorted at home because I'm the only one who would go through the effort and nobody else wants me touching their stuff)
THANK YOU for this! This is something more people need to see and the effect the over consumption and bad fiber clothes do. Agree with you that brands should do these tours before they do another piece of garment with shi.. fabric like polyester. So much to do in the fashion industry..
I've never visited one of these facilities and am oddly jealous of the experience. Curious if you have had any experience with textile recycling in Chicago?
Yes, it makes a huge difference with current technology! Monomaterial cotton, polyester, nylon-6, and to a lesser extent wool are the most ideal. Spandex blends are the worst. Of course you can't necessarily control if your garments are getting textile-to-textile recycled, but hypothetically this is the best chance of recyclability :)
I’ve worked in fashion long enough to know this isn’t a simple problem. What I found interesting about this article wasn’t the existence of textile waste. It was the scale of it. Sometimes seeing something with your own eyes teaches you more than a hundred sustainability reports.
Thank you so much for sharing, you're right that more people need to see these facilities.
I haven't been to one myself, but I've been to many warehouses and stockrooms that are overflowing with garments, some which stay in these places for years before eventually reaching these kinds of facilities. I think you're right that if more people knew just how many clothes exist on the planet, they'd hopefully be a bit more discerning.
Witnessing it changes your perspective for sure.
Wow, it's like a giant version of my sister's storage closet (which is getting donated for someone at the bins to sort through rather than thrown out or sorted at home because I'm the only one who would go through the effort and nobody else wants me touching their stuff)
That's a good idea to have someone at the bins go through it!
THANK YOU for this! This is something more people need to see and the effect the over consumption and bad fiber clothes do. Agree with you that brands should do these tours before they do another piece of garment with shi.. fabric like polyester. So much to do in the fashion industry..
And that sums it all up! "so much to do in the fashion industry.." 😅
I've never visited one of these facilities and am oddly jealous of the experience. Curious if you have had any experience with textile recycling in Chicago?
Haha it was interesting to see! I haven't done anything like this in Chicago yet. Something to look into...
Does it make a difference, recycling wise, if a garment is not composed of mixed fibres?
Yes, it makes a huge difference with current technology! Monomaterial cotton, polyester, nylon-6, and to a lesser extent wool are the most ideal. Spandex blends are the worst. Of course you can't necessarily control if your garments are getting textile-to-textile recycled, but hypothetically this is the best chance of recyclability :)
Thanks v much, that's helpful to know