It is fashionable to be responsible about textile waste

By Ilene Dube | Photos by Shutterstock unless otherwise attributed

The models on the runway at Morven Museum & Garden wore garments made from recycled food packaging, plastic bags, spools, and broken umbrellas. It was a creative way to turn detritus into wearable art at Sustainable Princeton’s Earth Day Trashion Show on April 19.

The concept of Trashion Fashion has been around for three decades. Sadly, the waste problem it seeks to address has only worsened.

According to “The Ecology of Fashion” exhibition at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia last year, the world has produced enough clothing for the next six generations — yet, worldwide, 100 billion new garments are produced each year. Roughly one-third of new garments remain unsold and are incinerated or dumped in a landfill.

And clothing manufacturing is not slowing down. Between 2000-2014, clothing production around the world doubled, according to Worn: A People’s History of Clothing (Sofi Thanhauser,Vintage, 2023). Consumers bought 60 percent more clothing and kept it for half the time. By 2017 one garbage truck worth of clothing was either burned or sent to landfills every second. Clothing produces one fifth of global wastewater and one tenth of carbon emissions.

Key solutions include improving recycling technologies, such as fiber-to-fiber recycling, and transitioning to a circular economy to reduce reliance on virgin materials, according to the Environmental Protection Agency website.

It is estimated that only 15 percent of used textiles are actually recycled, with up to half of that amount shipped overseas where the materials often end up landfills. Textiles — especially those made from synthetic fibers — can take 200 years to decompose.

About 700,000 tons of used clothing gets sent to other countries annually, according to Green America, a not-for-profit organization that seeks to create an environmentally sustainable society. The sheer volume of exported clothing has suppressed clothing industries in those countries — they are unable to compete with the influx of cheap, already-worn clothing.

The growing movement to curb textile waste includes everything from buying less, buying sustainable thrifted garments, and creatively repairing — visible mending and patchwork, buttons and trim, contrasting stitching, and embroidery. The added benefit is this “can add personality to your clothes and help them feel more like yours,” according to the New York Times Wirecutter, which also suggests framing sentimental garments as wall art.

Green America cautions against purchasing from fast fashion retailers — these garments are made to last one or two wears after which they inundate thrift stores. Since they lack the quality to be worn again, more clothes go to landfills or incinerators. When shopping for new items, look for “recycled content” products, says Green America; it increases demand for recycled textiles, which leads to greater incentive for companies to give new life to used textiles.

A number of large retailers — such as Patagonia, Madewell, and The North Face — have established take-back programs, where consumers can buy, trade, or sell second-hand goods. And Muji has just launched the U.S. debut of ReMuji, which the company launched in Japan in 2010 to collect, repair, and remake used garments. ReMuji will be introduced at its Fifth Avenue store before expanding to additional locations nationwide.

Some consumers rent clothing, or host clothing swaps. The Arts Council of Princeton has held several, in which swapped goods are creatively upcycled. Keep an eye on the Arts Council website for future events.

Thanks to a renewed interest, sewing machine sales have rebounded, according to Industry Research, and the growth is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. “The primary driver in the household sewing machines market is the rise in home-based creative industries and DIY (Do-It-Yourself) projects,” according to Industry Research. “Over 64 percent of consumers globally engage in at-home sewing for garment repair, design, or home décor.” 

Whether a favorite shirt is faded and stained, or your taste has evolved, sometimes all a tired piece of cloth needs is a change of color. You can dye textiles at home, but you can also drop off material at a community dye bath. Green Matters Natural Dye Company uses plant-based materials to eliminate the use of harmful dyes for a safe, eco-friendly alternative. Operating since 2015, Green Matters accepts mailed in garments and bedding for small batch dye baths that give new spark to old cloth. Colors from indigo and madder to golden sienna and blood orange, as well as a color of the month, are sourced from botanical dyes.

At industrial recycling centers, textiles are sorted by material type and color and shredded. Zippers and buttons are removed from the shredded piles. Natural textiles, like cotton or wool, are cleaned and mixed through “carding,” a mechanical process that passes fibers between moving surfaces to break up locked clumps of fiber and aligns individual fibers to be parallel to each other. The product is then respun into yards of threads and ready to be used for weaving or knitting into new products.

Synthetic fibers, such as polyester or acrylic, are processed into polyester chips, or plastic pellets, that become polyester again. The chips are melted and spun into filament fiber for new polyester fabrics.

Both small businesses and major brands have demonstrated commitment to using recycled materials. Patagonia sells clothing made with recycled down, wool, and polyester. Even the labels and zippers in these items contain up to 80 percent reclaimed material.

A new rule in Europe is set to reshape how the fashion industry handles excess inventory, with the European Union banning the destruction of unsold clothes and shoes starting in July of this year. The move targets long-standing practices where unused items were often discarded instead of reused. Under the change, companies will be expected to find alternatives such as recycling, donating, or redesigning unsold goods.

Before donating gently-used clothing to charitable organizations, it’s good to understand the journey they will take to help keep them out of landfills.

Depending on where you donate and the condition of your clothes, they could go directly to people in need, be sold in thrift stores, get sent to other countries, or wind up repurposed as rags or other products. Some donations, however, are in such poor condition that they can only be incinerated or trashed.

The amount of clothing donated to Goodwill Industries in a single year is “around the combined weight of about 19,000 blue whales,” according to The Washington Post.

To increase the chance your donations are of value on the resale market, make sure garments are clean and free of pet hair or lint, pockets are empty, missing buttons replaced, and tears or holes are repaired. Also, it’s best to donate clothing in season; no one wants to buy a warm winter coat on a 90-degree day in July.

Disaster relief often elicits an outpouring of donations, but most of what is contributed won’t make it to intended individuals because relief organizations don’t have the resources to clean, organize, or make donated clothing usable in a short time.

The Nearly New Shop, upstairs at 234 Nassau Street, operating since 1944, benefits the Princeton Day School scholarship fund. The shop sells both consignments and donations. Any unsold clothing is passed along to Eastern Service Workers in Trenton, Trenton Rescue Mission, Vietnam Veterans of America, and other charities. 

Clothing donated to HomeFront in Lawrence Township is primarily distributed for free to Mercer County families in need through its FreeStore in Trenton. Gently used clothing is sorted and organized by volunteers and staff, allowing families to select clothes, linens, and household goods at no cost. Clothing may be used to help clients prepare for job interviews or new homes. One-of-a-kind, vintage, or high-end items may be sold at HomeFront’s Treasure Trove resale shop in Hopewell. Donations are accepted at the HomeFront Donation Center, 1880 Princeton Avenue, Lawrence. HomeFront’s website (homefrontnj.org) includes a wish list so donations can match needs. It also lists items that cannot be accepted, such as torn or soiled clothing.

Rescue Mission of Trenton at 98 Carroll Street, Trenton, provides food, clothing, and shelter to its clients. Drop boxes for clothing donations are throughout the greater Princeton area and a list of locations can be found at rescuemissionoftrenton.org. Items that are not sold in their thrift store are sold in bulk to salvage companies to fund Rescue Mission’s social service programs. Unsold items are also repurposed or recycled into materials like insulation.

For 50 years, the Trinity Church Rummage Sale in the historic Princeton church at 33 Mercer Street has been beloved for its bargains, with bargain hunters lining up at dawn. The sales benefit the church’s local and international outreach programs: Housing Initiatives of Princeton, Episcopal Relief and Development, Gaia Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance, Urban Promise, Foundation Cristosal, the Rescue Mission of Trenton, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Habitat for Humanity, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

The Spring Fair at the Unitarian Congregation of Princeton, started in 1959, has become one of the largest rummage sales in Central New Jersey. It offers shoppers the opportunity to support worthwhile local charities while finding treasures and bargains and reducing their carbon footprint by reusing previously owned goods, according to its website. Funds raised provide emergency food, shelter, education, and other essential services. Donations are accepted in the weeks leading up to the sale. (This year’s sale was held in early May.) At the end of the day, trucks from Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, HomeFront, Arm In Arm, and Younity (formerly Womanspace) arrive, where unsold donations are carefully sorted to meet the needs of those organizations.

Sustainable Princeton partners with Helpsy, a certified B Corp and Public Benefit Corporation with a mission to keep clothes out of the trash and to create honorable work. Ninety-five percent of what Helpsy collects can be reused or recycled, according to helpsy.com. Clothing is sold primarily to thrift stores in North America and other secondhand markets around the world. What can’t be resold is turned into rags for industrial use, stuffing, or insulation. Helpsy’s website lists drop-off bins and also schedules pick-ups.

At Goodwill, five percent of donated clothes are sent to landfills right off the bat, largely due to mildew, which can contaminate entire bales of clothing, according to Green America. The rest remain in stores for four weeks before being moved to Goodwill outlets, where items are sold for 99 cents per pound. What doesn’t sell at the outlets is then sent to Goodwill Auctions, where huge bins full of items are sold by the lot. Finally, what clothing remains gets sent to textile recycling centers where it will be cut into rags, processed into softer fiber used for filling furniture and building insulation, or sent overseas.

The Red White & Blue Store at 2055 Nottingham Way in Mercerville bills itself as a place that “bring(s) you the thrill of the treasure hunt and the joy of savings.” Founded in 1965 with more than 32 stores across the country, the company prides itself on offering neatly arranged quality goods at affordable prices. In addition to clothing, Red White & Blue offers shoes, accessories, household goods, furniture, kitchenware, and electronics — “all while creating jobs, supporting community growth, and promoting sustainability through recycling, reuse, and waste reduction,” according to its website at rwbthrift.com.

Clothing donated to Red White & Blue Thrift Stores is sorted for quality. As a for-profit entity, proceeds from sales are used for business operations rather than directly funding charitable programs. Items that do not sell are likely sent to secondary markets or recycling. Some resellers — people who sell at flea markets — may stock their inventory here.

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) provides home pickups of donated merchandise and accepts clothing of all types and sizes, accessories, shoes (all kinds), baby items, house and glassware, books, toys, bikes, stereos, radios, portable TVs, bedding, draperies, curtains, kitchenware, usable small furniture and rugs, small appliances, tools, jewelry, and cosmetics. Rather than distributing used clothes directly to veterans, VVA sells donated items to contractors, such as Red White & Blue, with the proceeds supporting their operations, according to Charity Watch. Donations are sold to thrift stores and the money received from the sale of the goods is used to fund its programs.

Items that cannot be sold in thrift stores are typically sent to textile recycling centers, where they are repurposed into rags, insulation, or shipped overseas.

Breast Cancer Pickups, as its name implies, schedules pickups of everything from clothing to household items, electronics, pictures and frames, antiques, jewelry, toys, games, bicycles, books, and CDs. Items are then sold to thrift stores to help fund the United Breast Cancer Foundation, supporting breast cancer patients, survivors, and family members with everything from education and assistance with early detection to surgery, living expenses, and personal care products. Visit breastcancerpickups.org.

Soles4Souls (soles4souls.org)
resells donations of gently worn shoes to local entrepreneurs and thrift stores, creating jobs and helping people build sustainable businesses while keeping shoes in circulation.

Online groups offer a direct way to make sure your donations are kept in circulation. Buy Nothing Facebook groups, which are offered for Princeton, Hopewell, Rocky Hill, Lawrence, Montgomery, East and West Windsor, Plainsboro, Ewing, and Trenton, allow members to post what they’d like to give away, lend, or share, or ask for what they’d like to receive for free or borrow. And at Freecycle, items no longer used can be offered to those who can use them.