Clothing Recycling / Take-back Programs

“Personnes” / “No Man’s Land” by Christian Boltanski

How do you get rid of your unwanted clothing?

What other options are available?

What is Textile / Clothing Recycling?

• Reuse - the original product function

• Recycling - use of the clothing material properties (e.g. shredded for rags or sound proofing).

• Over 13 million tons of textile waste was generated in 2010.

• 2 million tons (15 percent) of that waste was recovered, recycled, and reused.

downcycling - less demanding, lower value applications

** The full exhibition used 30 tons (60,000 items) of clothing

Rag Collector , 1915Seattle, Washington

Rag Gatherer

Women in the rag room at Crane and Co. (paper mill), 1870s

Ragwasher Washington, D.C., 1915

Wartime Clothing Rationing

Clothing Coupons / Mend and Make-Do Campaign

“More information alone would not necessarily lead to behavioural

change and new industry initiatives and government intervention are

required.”

Uniqlo's All-Product Recycling Initiative

Clothing and textile waste = art materials

Bed-Stuy Community Quilt Project

Boltanski on "No Man's Land", June 2010

Guerra de la Paz

Nick Cave

Sources

Christian Boltanskihttp://tihanavalent.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/003_Canada-copie-1024x825.jpg

Goodwill, 23rd Street, NYChttp://manpurse.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/goodwill23rd.jpg

Environmental Protection Agency websitehttp://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/textiles.htm

“Public Understanding of Sustainable Clothing”http://www.wrap.org.uk/downloads/Public_understanding_of_sustainable_clothing.57a6f666.10843.pdf

“Fast Fashion” image http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9kPmaZL_iwA/Slzu4asNFwI/AAAAAAAABVM/6_tAn9HZiq8/S660/DSC_0022.jpg

Mend and Make Do Campaignshttp://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=12304

Uniqlo ebook The Power of Clothinghttp://www.uniqlo.com/en/csr/

Boltanski explains “No Man’s Land”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO_MaNiYYR8&feature=related

Guerra de la Pazhttp://www.guerradelapaz.com/index2.html