The U.S. generates about 9 billion pounds ofused clothing each year, and only a small fraction of that is recycled.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Council forTextile Recycling, that used clothing, or textile waste (which is alsocategorized as shoes, linens and related accessories) represents up to 5percent of U.S. landfills.


The Council for Textile Recycling says nearly half of the post-consumer textilewaste that is recovered by businesses and organizations in the textilerecycling industry aiming to divert textile waste from the solid waste stream is recycled as secondhand clothing, which is typically sold to third-worldnations.

Think about it. Just because youve grown tired of a shirt, its a little wornor missing a button doesnt mean it should be landfill-bound. In fact, mostused textiles are recyclable.

The most common practice of recycling textiles is reuse - deconstruction,resale or donation.

Charities like Goodwill and Salvation Army do their part in keeping old clothesout of the waste stream. Even donations of clothes that are too worn to re-sellin one of their shops are sent to textile recyclers that sort and separatequality items that can be reused or worn, from items that can be remanufacturedinto, say, commercial wiping cloths.


If youre looking for a small fee in exchange for your old digs - consideringtheyre still wearable, of course - eBay and other online "buy andsell" sites are a viable option.


Social butterflies may want to invite friends over for a clothes swap. Tellguests to bring good-conditioned, in-style articles of clothing they no longerwant, and organize a system for exchanging. A friends last season jacket willbe like new to you.


Creative types with a sewing machine and a do-it-yourself attitude may want tosearch "how to deconstruct your clothing" for tips on reinventing oldclothes.


Nicole Kulp is a 33-year-old designer whos built a small business on the ideaof "saving the environment one dress at a time." How? Simply byrevamping an existing item.


The Bucks County native and founder of Recycle My Dress said shed been abridesmaid so many times (eight to date) that the collection of dresses shebegan accruing several years ago served as her inspiration.

"I just had so many dresses, but I couldnt part with them. I just thoughtit was stupid for how much money I spent on them," she said.


So she started cutting, dying, hand painting essentially, recycling them. Abudding seamstress at age 10, Kulp learned to sew from her grandmother andmother. In college she studied fashion merchandising, printmaking andphotography.


For a few years she re-designed friends dresses into "practical, wearablepieces of art." And in 2006, as she began accepting clients outside her circleof friends, her vision of Recycle My Dress became a reality.

Kulp, a lifer vegetarian, said her job as an office manager at an acupuncturistoffice and her recycling practices are all part of her "holistic style oflife."


Clients from all over the country mail Kulp their bridesmaid dresses, which sheredesigns (either shes given instructions or she offers design options tochoose from).


"I generally try to pick up on what style they like and then convert it to(fit) that (style)," Kulp said, noting she sticks to classic styles anduses Jackie O. as a point of reference. "I try to make something that istimeless, rather than something thats there for that year and then gone."


The whole point in recycling a dress is to wear it again and again, with asense of renewal, she said. So the new design cannot be too trendy.


The dresses that come through Kulps shop are sustainable. "They have such good bones," she said, referring to their sturdy structure that would not only "hold up through time" but also make for an easy conversion. "Its kind like that old car that you just cant throw out. It just needs a new paint job."

Kulp, whos even recycled wedding dresses, said her favorite projects involve vintage dresses, creating from them updated versions that will last through the coming decades. She also buys a lot of vintage fabric at thrift stores, antique shops or online, she said, in a conscious effort to use materials "already existing in this world rather than having something made from scratch."


Generally clients wear their recycled dresses to another wedding or to a cocktail party, Kulp said. Better there than laying in a landfill.


"For the most part, bridesmaid dresses are made out of polyester, which is not going to biodegrade once they make it to a landfill," she said. "So if its something that instead of sitting in a landfill for 20-plus years can still be worn for another 20-plus years, then (its worth it). If you recycle your dress your daughter can (someday) wear (the new version) instead of the outdated one."



Originally published in New Cloth Market: May 2010