Why Clothes Are So Hard to Recycle
Fast fashion is leading to a mountain of clothing being thrown away each year and has a huge impact on the environment, so can we turn our unwanted garments into something useful?
Open your wardrobe and be honest. How long was it since you last wore some of those clothes? Do you think it might be time for a clear out?
Languishing in the back of cupboards and bottom of drawers are outfits that don’t fit any more, items that have gone out of fashion, or even clothes that have never been worn. In fact, according to research conducted by sociologist Sophie Woodward at the University of Manchester, on average 12% of clothes in the wardrobes of women she studied could be considered “inactive”.
If you were brutal, you’ll probably manage to fill a bin-bag or two with clothes you no longer want or need. But what then?
Around 85% of all textiles thrown away in the US – roughly 13 million tonnes in 2017 – are either dumped into landfill or burned. The average American has been estimated to throw away around 37kg of clothes every year. And globally, an estimated 92 million tonnes of textiles waste is created each year and the equivalent to a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up on landfill sites every second. By 2030, we are expected as a whole to be discarding more than 134 million tonnes of textiles a year.
Millions of tonnes of clothing, shoes and other textiles end up in landfill every year because very little is sent for recycling.
“The current fashion system uses high volumes of non-renewable resources, including petroleum, extracted to produce clothes that are often used only for a short period of time, after which the materials are largely lost to landfill or incineration,” says Chetna Prajapati, who studies ways of making sustainable textiles at Loughborough University in the UK.
“This system puts pressure on valuable resources such as water, pollutes the environment and degrades ecosystems in addition to creating societal impacts on a global scale.”
There are good reasons to seek out alternatives to chucking clothes in the bin – globally the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions, with textile production alone is estimated to release 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year. Vast amounts of water are also needed to produce the clothes we wear too and the fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global waste water. (Read more about the impact our fashion addiction has on the planet.)
At the same time we are buying more clothes than ever – the average consumer now buys 60% more clothing than they did 15 years ago. More than two tonnes of clothing are bought each minute in the UK, more than any other country in Europe. Globally, around 56 million tonnes of clothing are bought each year, and this is expected to rise to 93 million tonnes by 2030 and 160 million tonnes by 2050.
Globally just 12% of the material used for clothing ends up being recycled.
Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...
Lost dogs
I'm so sick of seeing stray dogs no collars,under fed, just like the one I saw running past me while I was waiting for the bus, poor fella Before u get a dog, do your research owning a dog is a big responsibility
They depend on us
Is your house fenced
Does your landlord know u have a pet? Don't forget vet bills
And a comfortable place to sleep hopefully inside..
Don't forget good nutritious food,and daily walks,just remember check foot path on hot days by placing your hand or bare foot on it to see if too hot for your doggies paws, best early in the morning or late in afternoon when temperature is cooler..OK im not saying I'm the best owner my girl was left home alone while I was at work even though I took her for long walks in the morning..sensitive subject If u have to put your precious fur baby to rest because of horrible uncurable
Illness have the vet come to your home don't do it at a vet clinic that is the place stresses them out..
My girl had cancer
And the vet wanted to put to sleep in the clinic he made up every excuse, but I rang around and found wonderful vet in waterloo, they were so kind and we agreed on a day..
Cost $370..
My girl was not stressed at all she was chilled out on her couch watching TV, she was clueless
She thought vet were there to visit Lol it was quick my girl fell asleep went back to Our creator in heaven
So guys please do your research before u get a dog😁
Poll: Are you as excited as we are for Te Matapihi’s grand reopening?
Wellington’s Te Awe Library on Brandon St will be closing its doors for good at 5 pm on March 1. It’s been the city’s largest temporary library, and now it’s making way for the exciting return of Te Matapihi Central Library!
We want to know: Are you as excited as we are for Te Matapihi’s grand reopening?
Want all the details? The Post has everything you need to know.
-
46.4% Yes
-
53.6% No
Tap Fusion opens Wellington Fringe Festival
New Zealand’s home-grown Tap Dance show, Tap Fusion, will be opening the Wellington Fringe Festival at the Hannah Theatre this weekend. The show is a unique collaboration of New Zealand’s top Tap dancers performing alongside artists of Street Dance, Swing Dance and live musicians. This will be the first time a Tap show has been seen at the Fringe Festival.
Tap Fusion is the work of former New Zealand Dance Champion brothers Brandon and Cameron Carter-Chan. They say the show is designed to expose the diversity of New Zealand artists through Tap Dance by inspiring, uplifting, and promoting the idea of creative collaboration, encouraging people to work with artists outside their social circle, and to increase opportunity and strengthen the arts community as a whole.
Tap Fusion is on at The Hannah Theatre, 12 Cambridge Terrace, Wellington on 13th & 14th February.
Loading…
