Profiles in Textile and Carpet Recycling, Summer 2004

Profiles in Textile and Carpet Recycling

by Maggie Coulter

This edition of the catalog includes an overview of the textile lifecycle with photographs from the rag making process and profiles four enterprises involved in textile reuse and/or recycling: the Los Angeles Fiber Company; Goodwill Southern California; Sandler Brothers; and Peerless Materials Company.

Overview of the Textile Lifecycle

Since textile reuse/recycling is well-established, only about 7 percent of textiles are landfilled according to the National Council for Textile Recycling. The most recent California waste characterization study, released in 1999, indicated that textiles were about 2 percent of the waste stream. There are, however, other environmental impacts associated with the textile life cycle that is outline below. The production and extraction stages can use significant amounts of water as well as impact workers, air, water, and land from the use of chemicals pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Impacts vary based on the raw material used; cotton uses more water than hemp and non-organically grown cotton uses more pesticides than organically grown cotton or hemp. Energy is used in all stages of the textile life cycles for transportation; energy is also used especially in the processing, preconsumer, and sales states for equipment and building operations. Textile processing and consumer use (laundering) are also very chemical- and water-intensive.

1. Raw Materials Production and Extraction. Textiles are made from natural fibers including cotton, wool, silk, hemp; from synthesized materials including cellulose (rayon) petroleum (polyester, nylon, etc.); and from blends of natural and synthetic materials.
2. Textile Processing. Textile processing involves: production of yard/thread, production of fabric by weaving or knitting, preparation including dyeing of that fabric, and cutting and sewing into clothing. Waste includes rejected fabrics due to miscoloration or other production errors.
3. Preconsumer (postindustrial). Of the material left over from cutting and sewing fabrics, about a third is ground up to make shoddy for stuffing in furniture or automobile upholstery, carpet padding, and other products; a quarter is made into rags; a small amount is respun into yarn; the rest is landfilled.
4. Sales. Wholesale or retail sales of textile products utilizes transportation energy as well as energy and material related to store buildings or storage.
5. Consumer Use. Laundering is the major impact of consumer use. It requires energy, water, and chemicals (from cleaning agents/detergents).
6. Post Initial Consumer Use. Much used clothing is donated to thrift stores and other charities. Less than a fifth of this clothing ends up on U.S. thrift store racks; 80 percent of it is sold to vendors and then resold in other countries as used clothing. Some used clothing and used sheets, towels, etc. are sold to U.S. businesses for rags or shoddy. Most of what remains will end up in the landfill.

Resources

• “How Susie Bayer’s T-Shirt Ended Up on Yusuf Mama’s Back”, George Packer, New York Times
• Profile of the Textile Industry, U.S.EPA Office of Compliance Sector Project Notebook
• Life Cycle Assessment Applied in the Textile Sector, Lisbeth Dahllof
• Office of Textiles and Apparel, www.otexa.ita.doc.gov
• National Council for Textile Recycling

Photographs from the Rag Making Process

Graders sorting used clothing

Workers sorting and cutting used clothing into rags.

Laundry machines (300 pound capacity).

Finished wipers being boxed for shipping.

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Last updated: August 01, 2008