fairdare
  • blog
  • Fairdare
  • ethical brands
  • zero-waste
  • zero-waste meals
  • about

zero-waste?

2/23/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
here we have two quite large bags of textile "waste".  there are scraps of fabric too small for me to want to sew with, a couple of ripped/threadbare sheets, beyond repair leggings, too holey and worn through socks, and other bits of beyond-my-use fabric.  i'm not sure how long i've been collecting this time, but i'm guessing that this is from somewhere around a year of collecting.  i would call this general living textile waste.  even with care and repair, things will eventually reach the point of uselessness in my home.

if one is interested, there are obviously ways to use even these scraps.  one can stuff bits like this into a big cube of sturdy fabric to make a stuffed footstool.  stuffed toys can be created.  a few rags could be made from larger pieces.  i am, however, ready to let these bits go.    

there are different ways to look at this, but seeing it all together like this does make me stop and think.  on one hand this waste is about to become something else...and is not really waste at all.  on the other hand this is a lot of waste.  these bags make me very conscious of how my choices affect the planet.

every time i type "zero-waste", i feel a little jab in my gut.  there are not many things in our times that are truly zero-waste.  gardening with seed saving and composting is truly zero-waste.  sewing my own clothing is not. waste is inevitably created in the process of manufacturing and transporting the fabric.  buying in bulk definitely decreases packaging, but it is not zero-waste.  there is again packaging and waste involved in processing and transport.  i will continue to use the term, because it is recognizable and compelling...but my true focus can only be on significantly reducing my family's waste and also getting the waste i do create into the right hands.

these bags of textile waste are going to goodwill, where i believe they will be sorted, transported and eventually be made into things like carpet padding, rags and car insulation.  jobs are created in sorting and transport, volume is saved from the landfill, and less raw materials are needed for the manufacture of these items.  i believe this is responsible disposal, but it does create further waste in the form of transport and manufacturing emissions.  

​it always comes back to less, in my mind.  the less we need... the less we use...the less we use up and need to dispose of.

here is my big question:  if we all kept our consumption to needs and the occasional luxury...could our waste actually balance out into productive closed loop systems?

love,
jane
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    on a journey toward zero-waste, simplicity, + compassion :: daring to choose fair one choice at a time
    Instagram
    join the fair dare


    categories

    All
    Fair Brands
    Fairdare
    Garden
    Made
    Reads
    Simple Budget
    Simple Holidays
    Simple Home
    Simple Wardrobe
    Simply Said
    Sustainable Self
    Wanderings
    Yum
    Zero Waste

    archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

    all images by jane, jo, or julia unless otherwise noted.  if you see something here that you would like to share, please ask permission. thank you! copyright 2021.
    subscribe via email

    RSS Feed

    Follow