Why Textile Waste is a Problem

and what can you do about it.

4 minute read

Textile waste is a HUGE problem, and in my opinion, it’s not being talked about enough. We talk about food waste, and have created curbside compost programs to reduce what’s being sent to landfills. We have recycling programs that do the same thing for paper, plastic, glass, tin, etc. But what about clothing and textile waste? Why is it being neglected when there is a mountain of discarded clothing so big in Chile that it can be seen from outer space? Why is fashion waste being ignored when 15 million pieces of used clothing get sent to the Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana, EACH WEEK!

“But Brynn, I don’t throw my clothes in the garbage, I donate them, isn’t that the solution? Or why can’t we just recycle clothes?”

It’s great if clothes aren’t thrown in the garbage and are donated and given a second chance of a new home, however, only 10 - 20 % of clothes donated get resold. But what happens to the rest? Where does this textile waste go? Some get incinerated, releasing harmful toxins into the air (from the dyes and chemicals used to make the clothes, and the fiber themselves since lots of clothes are made of polyester aka. oil.) Some get sent to landfills, both locally and globally, which destroys ecosystems. Some get dumped in other countries . Garbage clothes from North America and Europe get sent to Africa, Asia, and South America for them to deal with. It clogs up land, destroys economies, and puts a strain on the people. That’s where textile waste goes.

Some clothes do get recycled, yes, but textile recycling is costly and uses a great deal of energy. Plus, not all clothes can be recycled due to their fiber content. Therefore, there’s not always an option to recycle clothing and textiles. It often depends on where you live and the programs donation centers have. Some clothes get downcycled as well, shredded for things like stuffing mattresses and insulation. However, there are too many clothes to put all of them through the recycling and downcycling systems that are in place, hence why it’s such a problem.

One thing that I think is often forgotten, is that no matter what you do with your clothes, there are humans doing it. It takes human labour to sort through your clothing donations, human labour to transport and move the clothes to different locations. Human labour to resell, recycle, downcycle, or burn your clothes. It takes money to pay for those things to happen, and not enough people are investing in these services or technologies.

Well that’s all awful, what can I do to help?

By now you have probably heard a few things that will help. Things like making your clothes last longer through proper care and mending. But also buying better, buying second-hand, altering, and upcycling. Those are all great, I highly encourage you to assess what works in your closet. But what do you do with the clothing items that can’t or aren’t worth being mended or upcycled? That aren’t in good enough shape to be resold or donated? You can try recycling them, but I have another solution for you.

Put them in a pouffe! Let me explain.

For years, people who sew have been saving their sewing scraps and using them as stuffing for all kinds of pillows and cushions. My choice is the pouffe cushion. A cylindrical floor cushion similar to an ottoman. My thoughts are, why don’t we use that same concept for our yucky unwearable clothes?

I have been filling up pouffes with textile waste for years now, but only a little while ago did I have the idea of selling the pouffe shell empty so that others can do the same, even if you don’t sew and know how to make one yourself. (But if you do sew and want to make one yourself, I made a sewing pattern). I make the pouffe shells by upcycling secondhand fabrics like curtains and bedding, trying to further reduce textile waste.

So what kinds of things do you stuff it with? Honestly, anything. But, I do recommend stuffing it with clothes that are no longer wearable and most likely won’t be resold. Things that are really worn out or stretched out of shape. Clothes with stains on them or that are damaged. Used underwear, bras, bathing suits, and socks. Old work uniforms that you will never wear again. You can move from your clothes closet to the linen or bathroom closet and stuff it with things like dingey towels or bedding, stained or damaged tablecloths or curtains. Old baby and kids clothes, even stuffed animals. My rule of thumb is, if I wouldn’t buy it at a thrift store, I put it in a pouffe.

Is this the solution to ending textile waste? No, but it can help a little bit. Each pouffe can hold between 15 - 30lbs of textiles (depending on what you stuff it with). Canadians send, on average, 26lbs of textiles to the landfill each year. You do the math.

Beyond diverting textile waste from the landfill, I think these pouffes can help shift our mindsets about the value of clothes and our consumption habits. If you are now holding onto your textile waste, but reusing it for something useful (a new cushion), you have a visual of how much you are buying and what you would normally send away. If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. Out with the old, in with the new. However you want to put it, we clean out our closets to make room for more new stuff. We never really get to see how much we’ve bought because we keep getting rid of it. This isn’t a scientific finding, it’s a theory of mine based on my own experiences. Maybe it’s hopeful for me to think that could be the impact of a pouffe.

I think it’s also valuable to think more critically about how we sort our clothes. Instead of just putting everything we don’t wear into a garbage bag and dumping it at a donation center, to really think if our garments are in good enough condition to be passed on. If they are in good shape, maybe they will find a new home. If they are not, it’s important to find other ways to deal with it.

What are you putting in your pouffe?