Topic Tag: clothing waste

Hey there ! I just discovered Precious Plastic and it's awesome !! Now I might need some help for a project of mine, that has already raised questions withing the community :       How to recycle (even "up-cycle") synthetic textile waste ? I am currently interning at the School of Decorative Arts at Paris and working on a way to recycle synthetic textile waste, mainly made of polyester, which direclty comes from textile workshops’ garment falls in Paris. The goal of this project is to develop a local solution to recycle these monstrous waste that easily fill the garbage cans of some districts, like the “quartier du Sentier”, famous for producing fast-fashion. Unfortunately, there is no pictogramme indicating the exact composition of the wastes on the pieces of textile... and synthetic textiles are much more complex then simple plastic bottles ! They are often made of different kinds of fibers, mixed and inseparable materials, and contain additives as well as finishing chemical products, like lubricating, glossing and softening products. That is why they are very popular in landfills, not for recycling !       Why not creating a tool to give a second life or more to these synthetic fiber wastes ? Here is what I know about the waste I collected : - they are small and very different in size - the majority is essentially made of polyester - the colors and patterns are very variable If you guys have any suggestions, I will be delighter to read your comments :))  .... the question has to be solved by the end of june !