be embellished with a variety of items.
- Closing devices – zippers, poppers, studs, hooks, Velcro
- Interlinings – padding and structural stiffeners
- Linings – fillings – Khadi Backpack Lining
Once the articles have been sorted they must have all embellishments removed, they can then be broken into fibres of varying qualities.
Where does it go?
This ‘raw’ material is used in a variety of situations, some applications of which are somewhat secretive, dependant on the level of sorting at process these include:
- To ‘bulk up’ Virgin materials in the production of yarns – Khadi Hand spinning in Kolkata India – e.g. Canvas for backpacks
- Khadi Board – canvas and cloth for backpacks
- For the production of Felt – straps and padding
- Carpet backing yarn
- For car muffling felts
- For mattress and other stuffing applications
How much is produced?
It has not been possible to ascertain the exact production levels of this shoddy. The remaining processing plant in the UK handles over 1000 tonnes of shoddy per year11. The total UK production levels are maintained by this one company, Cullingworth Summers & Co, who recently suffered from a fire destroying half the plant.
This area is in general decline; historically the shoddy trade dealt with faulty material from the mills, and as such could maintain a higher level of quality. With the methods employed by the mills, this is a much rarer occurrence, and the majority of what becomes shod is obtained through charity and council collections.
How can the resultant recycled fibres be improved?
By introducing a logical, systematic collection of textiles, and by public awareness exercises the processing and sorting of garments could be speeded up. An industry body should be held responsible, and textile manufacturers should be encouraged to participate. Garment adornment should be analysed for compatibility with this process. Adding value to any reclaimed fibres is important – making products that have a long and lasting life cycle – such as tough and well made backpacks is just one solution.
What is the UK Government doing?
There are currently no plans to expand or extend recycling to cover the processing of textiles in an ecological manner. Investment for recycling and recycling initiatives is being reduced; the Waste & Resources Action Programme the UK organisation for the development of initiatives in recycling will not fund initiatives regarding to textiles, and is operating on a gradually reducing budget.13
What People Think About Recycling
This small scale survey reflects the results of both the WasteOnline research and the of ‘The Friends of the Earth’, ‘Doorstep Survey’.
Slight localised differences are apparent, Glass and paper in recycled quantities are swapped, this may be due to the way that the three surveys differ, and the way Council depots calculate collected items by weight, rather than volume.
- A large proportion of the survey recycled because they wanted to not because they were enforced to do so.
- 3.28 percent of the survey (those living in Hereford/shire) were enforced to sort and recycle, with £1000 fines enforceable.
- Doorstep collection increased recycling
- Everyone donated to charity shops, even those who were non recyclers (4.92 percent)
- A large contingent handed-down textiles (garments) within family and friend environment
- 53 percent discard their textile for land fill
- Only one quarter (25.4 percent) of those surveyed had knowledge of use of chemicals in textile manufacture and garment construction.
- There was a general awareness of the existence of Organic clothing
- 8 percent of those aware, bought organically produced textiles
- Those that did not buy blamed availability, and styling as reason for not purchasing, 27 percent blamed cost.
- 92 percent of those surveyed (111 people), were not aware of the destination of garments or textiles that were handed to charity or deposited in council collection bins.
Ecological Issues in Textile manufacture – Ethical Fashion Trade
“More than 8,000 chemicals have been identified by the German textile industry