Edwards.Recycling by

ojedwards2 — 2025-01-29 14:50:55 UTC

“More than 60 percent of fabric fibers are now synthetics, derived from fossil fuels, so if and when our clothing ends up in a landfill (about 85 percent of textile waste in the United States goes to landfills or is incinerated), it will not decay” (Schlossberg).

ojedwards2 — 2025-01-29 14:51:09 UTC

“It’s said that every piece of plastic ever made still exists today. Most plastics are not biodegradable—they just keep breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces and, along with more trash than we can readily comprehend, end up dumped into the ocean and swallowed by hundreds of animal species. Plastic has got to go, but while companies and people are beginning to cut down, it’s not disappearing any time soon. If we continue to use and dispose of it at the current rate, the ocean will have almost 400 million metric tons of plastic by 2050” (Wolfe).

ojedwards2 — 2025-01-29 14:51:22 UTC

“A lot of faith is placed here in the idea of “a circular — or closed-loop — system, in which products are continually recycled, reborn, reused. Nothing, ideally, should go in the trash.” But the practical considerations — cost, efficiency, resource limitations — are often left unaddressed.” (Schlossberg).

ojedwards2 — 2025-01-29 14:51:36 UTC

“Rothy’s, a brand that makes shoes from plastic explains on their website, “But when a pair of Rothy's has reached the end of its life and are no longer wearable, Rothy's Recycling prevents them from ending up in a landfill. By recycling and repurposing materials, we're helping to close the loop” (Rothy’s)

ojedwards2 — 2025-01-29 14:51:48 UTC

“All in all, less polyester would be best for the earth. But if it’s going to be used, better that it be made from recycled materials than not” (Bauck)

ojedwards2 — 2025-01-29 14:52:04 UTC

“Donning activewear made of trash doesn’t sound all that appealing—but it should. Girlfriend Collective is a truly transparent company that ethically produces sports bras and leggings made from recycled plastic. Their recycled polyester is made from plastic bottles in Taiwan, and their nylon transforms recycled fishing nets that would otherwise end up in the ocean suffocating countless sea creatures into Econyl (nylon yarn)” (Wolfe)

Connection

ojedwards2 — 2025-01-29 14:54:00 UTC

Both quotes discuss how synthetic fibers cannot decay and end up in either landfills or the ocean.

Connection

ojedwards2 — 2025-01-29 14:54:23 UTC

Schlossberg explains how closed loop systems work and the second quote gives an example of the closed loop system in action.

Connection

ojedwards2 — 2025-01-29 14:54:48 UTC

It would be better for polyester materials to be reused than thrown away.