Designers and stylists will showcase their “upcycled” garments as models hit the runway for what is being dubbed a “trashion show” at the Waste EXPO in Las Vegas next month.
It is estimated the average American household spends around $1,500 a year on clothing.
Sonja Salmon, associate professor of textiles at North Carolina State University, said whether the items wear thin or go out of style, only a small fraction of them are actually recycled. She noted the industry is realizing more must be done to reuse materials.
“Textile fibers are really amazing materials,” Salmon pointed out. “We wear them, they’re on our bodies, they feel good, they make us happy. They’re also a resource. They have chemistry in them, they have materials in them that deserve to be recycled and reused.”
Salmon stressed millions of tons of textile waste end up in U.S. landfills each year. It not only takes a long time to break down but is a lost opportunity for reuse. She added companies have started to incentivize buyback programs, a step in the right direction. The Waste EXPO is May 5-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Salmon emphasized the Waste360 “trashion” runway will get people thinking differently about the use of fabrics. She explained today’s clothes are primarily made up of synthetic fibers like polyester and natural fibers like cotton. Blended pieces are good for durability and comfort but are challenging to break down.
They have to be separated before recycling, so she pointed to the need for better collection and sorting technologies.
“So that large amounts of those materials can go to recycling processes,” Salmon added. “I’m actually excited because Goodwill, an organization that we associate with clothing donation, is actually starting to think about its own role in helping the recycling process, in terms of collection and sorting.”
Salmon encouraged shoppers to look to Goodwill and other thrift stores to purchase used clothing and participate in take-back programs to help sort materials for recycling. Consumers can also consider renting special-occasion clothing instead of buying.