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THE I SR I SCRAP YEARBOOK
2016
INSTITUTE OF SCRAP RECYCLING INDUSTRIES, INC.
59
Textile recycling is a dynamic sector of the recycling industry
that processes billions of pounds of cotton, wool, synthetic,
and synthetic-blend products each year. These scrap
materials come from a number of sources, ranging from
apparel and home furnishing manufacturers, to textile mills
and consumers.
In recent years, 2 million
tons of clothing and textiles
have been recovered from
individuals (post-consumer)
and manufacturers (pre-
consumer) in the United
States each year that are recycled as new raw materials
for the automotive, furniture, mattress, coarse yarn, home
furnishings, paper, and other industries. This translated
to about 12 lbs. of textiles per person in the Unites States.
Demand for used textiles and clothing is growing rapidly
overseas as well. According to figures from the Census
Bureau, the value of U.S. exports of used textiles and clothing
increased from $310 million in 2005 to nearly $648 million
in 2015.
Used clothing collected from households is graded into
a number of categories. Garments in good condition are
exported for resale in parts of the world where new clothing
is not affordable for many. This trade provides employment
not only among the exporting nations, but also in the
importing countries.
Secondhand
Clothing,
45%
Converted
into Fiber,
20%
Other, 5%
Processed,
30%
Textiles