Why do you need to recycle shoes and clothing?

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Why do you need to recycle shoes and clothing?

Every year, almost 68 pounds of clothes and shoes get thrown in the landfill owing to increased shopping demands and overstuffed wardrobes. And that is counting only one person! Imagine then, the amount of clothes and shoes every person would be throwing out annually.

Even textile recycling programs run by certain communities are not able to prevent almost 85% of these clothes and shoes from reaching the landfills, filling up space that can otherwise be used for other waste products.

Not many of us know that nearly 100% of household clothing and textiles can be recycled completely, irrespective of their condition. The list also extends to other items like caps, hats, purses, hard toys, stuffed animals, belts, wallets and even old shoes.

Discarded clothing can also find its use in other forms around the house or outside. Discarding these clothes means wasting not only the material, but also the water and energy used in making them. Water sources are dwindling around the world, and continued use of energy would cause global warming on a grand scale. Therefore, putting aside old textiles that can be repurposed is considered a small step towards contributing to the betterment of the environment.

Important Factors to ponder about

While many individuals are familiar with recycling aluminum, plastic and other kinds of packaging, they are less familiar about recycling unwanted clothes and textiles. Many are also not aware of the fact that clothes and textiles can be recycled nearly 100%, thereby reducing the need for them to be dumped into the garbage. Even rags and bits and pieces of clothes can be recycled to form value added products that can be used around the house again.

Another point to be considered here is that household textiles and clothes (even biodegradable ones) would also not degrade easily in a landfill owing to lack of oxygen and sunlight. As such, they would need to be incinerated, leading to more air pollution.

The Manifold Benefits of Recycling Clothing and Shoes

Recycling old clothing and textiles can transform otherwise useless pieces of clothing into value added products.

Recycling clothes and textiles reduces solid waste and saves plenty of space in landfills that can then be allotted to other forms of waste.

Recycled clothes are eco-friendly and sustainable, thereby lessening the carbon footprint.

Recycling clothes can become a major industry that can contribute to worldwide economic development, including the US where more number of semi-skilled workers can get employment.

Source: https://drprem.com/green/why-do-you-need-to-recycle-shoes-and-clothing