st be addressed globally.
By looking at what the UK Government is hoping to achieve with its recycling manifesto and how this directly relates to textiles, we can test the viability of non-virgin materials being used to reduce the amount of:
- New or ‘virgin’ textiles put into production.
- Textiles going into landfill.
And increase the:
- Efficiency of recycled textiles.
- Quality of recycled textiles.
“What do we do with all this recycled material?”
Whilst capturing the ever more ‘eco-aware’ public’s attention; it is hoped that this report can be a realistic solution to be adopted world wide, to help slow down the damage being done to the earth.
UK Recycling – Textile Recycling
Until the later half of the 20th century, there was no concept of what we refer to today as recycling. Prior to and including the war years people were of a financial situation where by ‘make do and mend’ was not only encouraged as ‘war effort’ but was adopted because of economic reasoning.
“Clothes rationing was introduced in 1941. Adults were rationed to a fixed number of clothing coupons per year, each item of clothing having a coupon value, plus the price fixed by law. If you had the money, but no coupons, you could not buy, although an illegal black-market grew up of traders willing to supply the unobtainable, but at a price. Thus a ‘make-do and mend’ ethos grew up, recycling old clothes, unpicking the wool from old pullovers to darn socks, for example.”
Items of clothing, household appliances, tools and machinery were all constructed in such a manner that allowed for home repair, and therefore had a considerably longer ‘life’.
Today no such situation exists, home or professional repair of household goods is a logistical nightmare. The repair of all but the most expensive clothes is unfeasible. Manufacturers are aware of this so that consumers are forced to replace, not by choice, expensive (ecologically) everyday items on a regular basis. Planned obsolescence of products, from mobile phones to cars is part of the design process of all major companies.
EU regulation is being brought to counter this situation.
“The EU Directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Restriction of the Use of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) were published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 13 February 2003 and must be implemented into UK law by 13 August 2004.”4
This directive puts in place controls over who is responsible for the aftermarket processing of electronic goods. And states how these items must be processed.
“In terms of electronic appliances, recycling will include the recycling of metal components into new metals, reprocessing plastics into recycled plastics, etc. Recovery includes these recycling operations but also includes activities like incinerating plastic waste with energy recovery.”
Furthermore the costs associated with the onward supply and management of WEEE will be met by the producers of the equipment. This is a logical step and should further encompass the textiles industry, however it does not address the problem of over consumerism, nor does it address the problems caused directly at manufacture. See Chapter Four. Indeed, it could be misconstrued that it may make manufacturing even more competitive, with regulations being skipped; Cynical though it may seem the end consumer is likely to foot the bill, and little or no change will occur.
What, Why and Where?
Items that have entered into everyday UK recycling habits include: paper, glass, aluminium (and other metals), some plastics and textiles. Indeed, it is these household waste items that have been targeted and encompass the Government’s Waste Management Strategy.
Up to 80 percent of household waste is theoretically recyclable, and rates of 50-60 percent recycling are already being achieved in some UK districts6. The 20 percent of products which aren’t currently recyclable (some plastics, sanitary products, household batteries etc) should, with time be redesigned to allow them to be recycled.
The success of these items returning to a third o