Mar 14, 2014 Not got the confidence to up-cycle on a sewing machine? We've got the solution! Here at Junk we understand you're not all sewing experts, and whipping out the sewing machine to quickly alter a garment can be a daunting experience for some. So, this week's post is to help encourage recycling without the need of any machine! The reason some of our clothes remain unworn is because they no longer fit, need repairing, or they don't suit our style or taste any more. To overcome this you can: Look for shops nearby which offer repair and alteration services Wear clothes in new combinations and use accessories to give clothing a new lease of life, eg if something has become too big, then just rock an oversized look! Use energy efficient laundry method - I guess it's the least we could do when the clothing and textiles sector in the UK is responsible for more than 3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. Keeping clothes out of the bin Approximately 1.5 to 2 million tonnes of clothing and textile waste is generated in the UK each year, of which 1.2 million tonnes (63%) is currently disposed of to landfill. Of the textiles that are discarded to the household's waste bin, nationally 43% is reusable. Pass it on! If clothing is in good condition but is no longer of use to you, consider passing it on to someone else. Pass on, exchange or share unwanted clothes with friends and family. Unwanted clothing has a value. Why not sell them online, at a carboot sale or via Ebay. Donate clothing to charity shops or through collection services offered by charities, local councils, retailers (eg. M&S's swap shop) and other organisations. Here are some more facts and figures that'll make you want to make a difference! The energy required to collect, process and sell a reused item of clothing is only 2 per cent of the energy required to manufacture a new garment. C02 savings from textile recycling is second only to aluminium – reusing clothes conveys a greater benefit to the environment. British women own an average of 14 unused items costing an average of £21.82 a piece, totalling just over £305. UK Government statistics show that there are 2.4 billion pieces of clothing unworn for an entire 12 months (many possibly brand new) cluttering up the national wardrobe, which adds up to a whopping £10 billion worth of unused clothes, shoes, bags etc. Landfill space in Britain will run out in less than eight years unless recycling rates are boosted and the amount of rubbish dumped in the ground is reduced. So hopefully we've given you some food for thought, and inspired you to get recycling, and there's now no excuse if you can't use a machine! Remember we've got a FREE drop-in 'Sew Recycled' finale class on 5th April 12-6pm in our Northern Quarter store - hope to see you there!Happy Recycling, Junk X
