Recycle + Upcycle
Today, we listened to two lectures. The first was by Mira Housen, who spoke vividly about taking what people consider waste and turning it into a resource. The second lecture was by Baxter Koziol. He discussed the art he creates, called wearables. Koziol shared how he makes his art pieces often by recycling old textiles and incorporating them into his works. Although the two lectures traverse two very different paths, one about the science of recycling and the other about an artist’s work, the commonality was one key idea: recycling. Both Housen and Koziol talk about how they reduce their footprint by finding ways to use materials people no longer want or use. For example, Housen took old logs and was able to scan and build structures with them. Koziol finds old clothes from his closet or ones from his friends and family (or the Goodwill store) to transform into art.
Inspired by this major theme, I decided to research recycling clothes and textiles. Clothes that have been given up can go through a process of shredding and respinning. Textiles go to recycling companies where they are sorted. This separation can depend on cloth or artificial fabrics and color. Clothes are then shredded so they can be respun into different textiles.
Consumerism, especially in the United States, is a large problem. any resources we use and discard are not renewable and can significantly damage our environment sitting in landfills. Natural fibers take a very long time to decompose and synthetic textiles are not meant to decompose. This raises major concerns about soil health and leaching of toxins into groundwater. About 85% of all textiles have ended up in landfills.
However, more recently, people are trying to reduce this habit of over-consumption and promote upcycling. Thrifting has made its way to mass media, promoting wearing second hand clothes. There are also many community groups on social media, such as Give, Ask, Borrow or Buy Nothing, that share or give away items to those who want it. Housen and Koziol are not the only people upcycling materials. One example is SUAY, a vertical sewing and production shop located in Los Angeles. SUAY works to recycle old textile and turn it into new and unique clothing items and accessories. They try to be transparent with their audience, and market this upcycling as cool and hip. They have prevented over 3 million pounds of textile from occupying our landfills.
In this era of consumerism, many environmentally conscious people like Housen and Koziol understand the importance of their actions. They are thinking outside the box and creating art while being responsible citizens. As a consequence, they continue to inspire others with their artistry while educating people of ways to upcycle, shining light on a large social and environmental issue, and underscoring the potential wasteful habits of society.
A recycling center that holds clothing and textiles before they are transported for shredding and respinning.
The Global Textile Recycling Market Reached a Value of around US$ 5 Billion in 2020 - Used Clothing Brokers | Garson & Shaw. 18 Feb. 2022, www.garsonshaw.com/2022/02/the-global-textile-recycling-market-reached-a-value-of-around-5-billion-in-2020/.
Clothes and textiles are sorted to minimize the amount of clothes being recycled. Recycling companies try to rehome clothes and reuse textiles before they are sent to be recycled.
“Recycling Your Fashion for a Better Future.” Impacting Our Future, 21 May 2019, www.impactingourfuture.com/sustainable-living/recycling-your-fashion-for-a-better-future/.
SUAY LA takes donated textiles like towels and turns them into jackets.
“Instagram.” Www.instagram.com, www.instagram.com/p/C7FAKaMp6uk/. Accessed 28 June 2024.
Resources
Works Cited
Admin, S. E. O. “10 Scary Statistics about Fast Fashion & the Environment.” State of Matter Apparel, 11 Dec. 2023, stateofmatterapparel.com/blogs/som-blog/10-scary-statistics-about-fast-fashion-the-environment#:~:text=An%20estimated%2011.3%20million%20tons.
“Instagram.” Www.instagram.com, www.instagram.com/p/C7FAKaMp6uk/. Accessed 28 June 2024.
“Recycling Your Fashion for a Better Future.” Impacting Our Future, 21 May 2019, www.impactingourfuture.com/sustainable-living/recycling-your-fashion-for-a-better-future/.
“SUAY IT FORWARD.” SUAY, suayla.com/pages/suay-it-forward. Accessed 28 June 2024.
The Global Textile Recycling Market Reached a Value of around US$ 5 Billion in 2020 - Used Clothing Brokers | Garson & Shaw. 18 Feb. 2022, www.garsonshaw.com/2022/02/the-global-textile-recycling-market-reached-a-value-of-around-5-billion-in-2020/.
University, Western Washington, and University of Tennessee. “How to Recycle Textiles: Give New Life to Old Clothes.” Treehugger, 15 Apr. 2022, www.treehugger.com/textile-recycling-5203438#:~:text=After%20used%20textiles%20are%20given.