Textiles

Refuse

Certain textiles especially cause massive ecological harm as well as harm to the workers who produce those textiles.

Leather not only uses an incredible amount of resources to produce, often requiring multiple animal hides to make a single product, but the tanning process requires dangerous chemicals and work conditions which harm the adults and children who often don't have safety equipment or proper medical care -https://www.trustedclothes.com/blog/2016/02/23/24811/

Polyester and other Plastic-Based textiles require petroleum and help support the fossil fuel industries. Even worse is that the microplastics that are shed every time those clothes are laundered end up washing out to our oceans where they line beaches and enter the food chain.

Reduce

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Reuse

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Repair

Not only does repairing help keep our things our of landfills, but when our things last longer, we can avoid new purchases for longer. Repairing, and re-dyeing our things can hep save us money, even if we choose to outsource the labor to local businesses like tailors and cobblers.

Simple options like ready-made or DIY patches can be ironed and sewn on. Many shirts come with an extra button or two in case one is lost, and these can easily been sewn on. Darning knitted items like socks can actually strengthen those clothing articles, but give you the choice between matching the original color or having fun with new splashes of color.

Communities like r/Visiblemending ( https://www.reddit.com/r/Visiblemending/ ) and r/sashiko ( https://www.reddit.com/r/sashiko/ ) are not only full of inspiring examples of at-home repair, but the communities there are always happy to give suggestions and share techniques.

Upcycle

Upcycling uses less energy and less resources that breaking down products to be fully recycled. Dad's old shirt can become anything from a cleaning rag to a throw pillow, baby clothing, dog coat, or a new stuffed toy. An old curtain can become a prom dress or reusable shopping bags. Mum's stained or torn dress can be used to make reusable period pads, or a smaller set of clothing for a smaller family member. Some of my favorite dress-up clothes as a kid were "fancy" hand-me-downs like old night dresses and scarves/shawls that have since served my siblings and cousins for many an imaginary adventure or tea party.

Donate

If possible, donating can give textiles a second chance at life, but damaged clothes and over supply of donations vs. lower consumption rates/higher manufacturing rates, means that many charities end up throwing away large amounts of what we donate. Only donate things if they are in good enough condition that you would be willing to buy the item yourself, otherwise the next best option is to recycle.

Recycle

This may be the hardest step listed, since we throw away such large percentages of items like clothing, rugs, and furniture, but very few systems exist to handle textile recycling. In fact, since COVID began, many recycling drop offs have closed with no plans to open in the foreseeable future. To anyone wondering what kind of business they should start to help the environment, please be aware that this would provide jobs, reduce pressure on our landfills, save resources, AND fill a desperately needed niche that is necessary for a truly circular economy.

Clean/Maintain