Abstract This paper deals with the subject of recycling and the concern about deepening the "ecological footprint" that we are leaving on the earth. The paper relates that this concern has motivated the recycling of everything from paper to plastics, but that consumers who are concerned about the environment and who conscientiously recycle and buy recycled products, may not similarly understand the impact of their textile purchases. The paper then discusses the environmental problems created by the production and disposal of textile and looks at measures we can implement to alleviate the problem. The paper asserts that at every chain of the steps that are required to create a product, the textile industry and the consumer must be hyper-vigilant so the planet does not become hostage to our obsession with wearing the next new thing.
From the Paper "The inevitable costs caused by manufacturing new products means that even though new technologies are evolving in terms of how to create new products, it is also important to develop new ways to use existing textile fabrics in circulation. "According to the Council for Textile Recycling, nationwide over four-million tons of post-consumer textiles enter the waste stream every year. Most go to landfills, but around a million tons are collected by charity groups. About half of the textile products collected is sold as second-hand items, and the rest eventually goes to rag graders."
