The Benefits of Recycling Fabric

Many consumers already recycle plastics, paper products, aluminum and glass, but there is more to be done to reduce solid waste and cut back on the amount of trash piling up in landfills. You may not think that fabrics pose much of a problem to the environment because many of them are degradable, but you’ll be surprised by the statistics. Every year, an estimated 4 million tons of textiles are discarded as landfill waste, comprising almost 5% of all waste.

Textiles to consider for recycling include used clothing, hats, manufacturing scraps, furniture, carpets, sheets, towels, stuffed animals and even shoes, wallets, purses and belts. One option for discarded fabrics would be incineration, but that contributes to air pollution. Expecting these items to biodegrade isn’t really a possibility either because the available amounts of oxygen and sunlight in a landfill aren’t usually enough for the process to take place.

There are better options than having these used items become part of a landfill. Textiles can easily be repurposed, reused, resold and recycled. Clothing can be repurposed by updating the style or donating to charity. Consumers can resell or donate many of these unwanted or unneeded items, converting waste items into value-added products.

It makes much more sense to consider recycling fabrics, rather than just tossing them out. The number of textile recycling companies and fiber reclamation mills is growing as more consumers turn to recycling these materials. Creating new items from used materials is more cost effective and uses less energy than making them from limited raw resources.

Almost 100% of household textiles and clothing can be recycled, whether it’s a natural fiber like cotton or a man-made polyester fiber. Through processing, both types of fibers can be reduced back to their original yarns and spun into new clothing items and fabrics. There are some companies that will even accept their used clothing back for recycling.

Many of the durable, high-quality bags provided by Custom Grocery Bags are made from recycled fabrics. Visit CustomGroceryBags.com today to learn more about the benefits of using recycled fabrics for totes and bags.