What to do with *that* pile of clothes in the back of your closet...?
My latest sweater transformation, finished earlier this week:
Some questions that were on my mind during this project - when does it make sense to re-sell vs repair vs remake vs recycle a garment?
If a sweater is damaged, it makes sense to repair it. Does it ever make sense to remake it entirely? At what point is it more efficient to just recycle it (through shredding or chemical separation) and spin it into new yarn? When should it be downcycled, I.e. shredded into insulation or stuffing?
If a sweater is in good condition (no damage or stains) but is otherwise not deemed very ‘valuable’ (i.e. the fit is off or the style is out of date) is it best to try and re-sell it as-is? Would it be better to alter it in some way to make it fit, to make it more wearable? To remake it into a new design?
In general, circularity principles dictate that products and materials should be circulated at their highest value. From the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, on the technical cycle of products:
The most effective way of retaining the value of products is to maintain and reuse them. Take a phone for example: it is far more valuable as a phone than as a pile of components and materials. So the first steps in the technical cycle are focused on keeping products whole to retain the maximum possible value. This could include business models based on sharing, so users get access to a product rather than owning it and more people get to use it over time. It could involve reuse through resale. It could mean cycles of maintenance, repair, and refurbishment.
Eventually, when the product can no longer be used, its components can be remanufactured. Parts that cannot be remanufactured can be broken down into their constituent materials and recycled. While recycling is the option of last resort because it means the embedded value in products and components are lost, it is vitally important as the final step that allows materials to stay in the economy and not end up as waste.
This is a helpful guide and reassures me that pursuing remanufacturing is a worthwhile endeavor. Still I wonder - how should I assess if a specific sweater is best suited for repair/refurbishment/remanufacturing vs reuse/resale as-is or recycling?
How I’m investigating this - on the consumer side
Most recently, I put this decision directly into my “customers’” (aka my friends) hands - they got to choose whether I would ‘repair’ or ‘remake’ their sweaters. Some chose repair, and some chose remake. I like this idea of getting consumers involved in the process. I have a sort-of hypothesis that consumer participation in design* will lead to a higher value/attachment to the end product, and that greater appreciation/valuation of our clothes will lead to more reuse and less waste. Some related but not necessarily coherent thoughts:
*Design here could mean a lot of things, not just the ‘look’ - could also apply to the fit, materials, functionality, etc.
Regulation and systemic, industry-wide changes will be necessary to reduce waste and harm at scale. But I think we as consumers must also change our relationship with clothes, and shift away from thinking of clothing as disposable.
Nearly everyone I know has a pile of clothes that is currently ‘out of circulation’. They intend to sell, alter, repair, or donate these items but haven’t gotten around to it - why? (Shoot me an email or leave a comment if you have thoughts/feelings about this!)
How I’m investigating this - on the business side
There are a number of companies that have deep expertise on sorting, categorizing, and assessing the value of clothes, and re-selling these products whole or broken down into their component parts. They partner with charities (e.g. Goodwill) and with brands looking to offload excess inventory. A couple that I know of (and am aiming to connect with & learn from) are Helpsy, ReCircled, Debrand, and Bank & Vogue/BVH.
Next week
I’m trying my hand at mending! I just picked up “Visible Creative Mending for Knitwear” by Flora Collingwood-Norris (check out her knitwear and visible mending company here on IG: @collingwoodnorris), and will be attempting to repair and reinforce the elbows of another friend’s sweater.
Speaking of mending - if you’d like to do some of your own you should check out Reclypt, a circular fashion community based here in NYC. Reclypt hosts monthly ‘mending accountability’ meetups, and Saturday is their annual Circular Fashion Playground exploring all aspects of circular fashion including upcycling workshops, clothing swaps, and more. I’m continually impressed by the quality of their events (go Rachel!) and I’m sad to be missing the Playground this weekend- so please I hope some of you go in my stead!
Until next week,
Anne