Recycling Update: Part 3, Textiles

The subject of textile recycling covers several different topics. Used clothing is collected through various means and after cleaning and sorting, is donated to the less fortunate of us or sold in second-hand venues such as Goodwill in order to raise funds. However, once a garment is no longer a viable garment, it eventually enters the "waste stream." Other textiles that are non-durable, such as sheets and towels, are often converted to rags and wipers. It is interesting to note that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not consider this type of "reuse" as recycling because the rags and wipers eventually do become waste material.

Hotels, motels, resorts, and medical clinics and hospitals are a major source of reused or recycled textiles. These "damaged" or used textiles are often processed by sorting, cutting, and hemming. Other sources are textile manufacturers themselves, that often have unusable or damaged material that is produced in the manufacturing process. Textiles that can't be used for rags have other uses. Cotton is used in high-quality paper making. Other knitted and woolen fabrics are "pulled" into fibrous state and reprocessed into fibers that are used in upholstery, insulation and other building materials.

Two companies that make clothing, Patagonia and Nike, have been in the news regarding their "green" policies. Patagonia, well-known for its "footprint" program, launched its Common Threads Garment Recycling Program to recycle used garments into modern styles. And in the recent World Cup games, no less than nine soccer teams were wearing Nike jerseys that were made from recycled plastic bottles.

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Sources:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/recycled-cotton-saves-land-water-energy.html

http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/textiles.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textile_recycling#Conversion_to_rags

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1995859,00.html

Industry Trends: Auto Repair Update

As new cars sales continue to slump in the recession, some dealer service departments and auto repair shops are seeing an increase in business in 2010. Bobby Irby, general manager of Memphis Auto Repair Service says, "A lot of people now are fixing (older cars) up rather than buying new vehicles."

Conventional wisdom has always said that the auto repair business is "recession-proof". Independent mechanics surveyed by the Automotive Service Association reported business up in 2009 over 2008. 76% expect more work in the recession. When someone is faced with a $1000 auto repair, they previously may have decided to trade the car. But now with budgets getting tighter and tighter, they just bite the bullet and do the repair. On the downside, there are also people who, when faced with that kind of bill, just turn to public transportation. There are a lot of people out there with cars just sitting in the driveway.

"People are hanging on to them right now, and they've got to keep them running," says Tim Smith of Bob Smith BMW/Mini in Calabasas, Calif. The median age for cars in 2008 was 9.4 years. Another problem is that may people are "upside-down" or "underwater" as the expression goes.

At RFI, Inc., we supply rags for the auto repair, auto body, and auto detailing industries. While the recession affects all of us, the recycled textile business remains steady and strong. We look forward to a great 2010.

Sources:
Commercial Appeal
The Early Show