What are pre-consumer textiles recycled into?
Each year 750,000 tons of this waste is recycled into new raw materials for the automotive, furniture, mattress, coarse yarn, home furnishings, paper, and other industries. Through the efforts of this industry, approximately 75 percent of the pre-consumer textile waste that is generated is diverted from our landfills and recycled. How are post-consumer textiles used? Almost half (48 percent) of these textiles are used to clothe the world’s poorest people. The textile industry is capable of delivering a pair of pants in clean, damage-free condition to the east coast of Africa for 34 cents a pair and sweaters to Pakistan for 12 cents each–less than the cost of mailing a letter. These prices include not only the garment, but the cost of transportation as well. Approximately 20 percent of the post-consumer textiles processed become wiping and polishing cloths. Finally, 26 percent of this post-consumer waste is converted into fiber to be used in products similar to those manufactured from
