2016Yearbook_Flipbook

2016

THE I SR I SCRAP YEARBOOK

Textiles

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

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.

tons of clothing and textiles have been recovered from individuals (post-consumer) and manufacturers (pre- consumer) in the United

Other, 5%

Secondhand Clothing, 45%

Converted into Fiber, 20%

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

Processed, 30%

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INSTITUTE OF SCRAP RECYCLING INDUSTRIES, INC.