We are a use-and-toss society.
Americans piled up 12.7 million tons of textile waste in 2009, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Just 13.8 percent of clothing and footwear is "recovered" for reuse. The rest ends up in landfills or incinerators.
Toting bins of paper and plastics to the curb for pickup has become second nature to many Americans. But textile recycling has been slower to catch on.
Textiles were actually the first material to be recycled, said Joe DeFeo, spokesman for the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association, a nonprofit industry group.
Textile recycling began on a large scale around the turn of the 20th century, he said.
Consumer misconceptions are partially to blame for the limited popularity of textile recycling, DeFeo said.
"[Textiles are] not convenient for a consumer to recycle, or they think things can't be recycled," he said. "The fact is, there is a reuse for almost everything. ... Any textile in your house can be recycled in some way."
Textile recycling comes with other challenges. Wet fabric can't be recycled, which can present problems for curbside pickup programs.
Like many municipal agencies, the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority has no formal textile-recycling program, spokeswoman Kathryn Sandoe said.
Instead, the authority encourages people to donate used clothing to local charities.
Once used clothing is collected, workers sort it by hand, DeFeo said. They grade it based on condition, color, quality, material and usability.
Clothing can be reused in several ways. Good-condition pieces are exported to developing countries, where there is high demand.
Damaged clothing can be used as wiping or polishing cloths in commercial or industrial settings.
Clothing that is not absorbent enough or otherwise unsuitable for use as rags is reprocessed into fibers for insulation, soundproofing, furniture stuffing, carpet padding and other uses.
Only 5 percent of used clothing is truly unusable and not fit for recycling.
"The idea is to prevent as much as possible from going into landfills," DeFeo said.
Welcome to the new TalkBack on LancasterOnline. Please use the comment box below to share your opinion on this article. If you would prefer to use the previous TalkBack forums instead, please use this link to post in the TalkBack forums.
