Fabric and textile scraps are difficult materials to recycle correctly. However, a nonprofit has stepped up and is working with the fashion industry to recycle correctly.
Nonprofit doing good and recycling the textile waste in New York City
The nonprofit Fabscrap operates an internet store and physical facility that runs as part second-hand store and part recycling factory. Fabscrap collects scraps from several popular brands including J. Crew, Nautica, and Macy’s.
Moreover, Jessica Schreiber founded Fabscrap. After spending time at New York City’s Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability, she started the nonprofit. She regularly received calls from fashion industry leaders wondering what to do with their waste.
Schreiber received seed money after appearing on Project Runway: Fashion Startup. She now manages the waste of 434 different brands. Her work has seen 600,000 pounds of textiles and fabric spared from entering New York City’s landfills.
Schreiber and good Samaritans helping New York become even more eco-friendly
Schreiber has managed to bring in 2,000 volunteers to help sort out all the scraps Fabscrap collects at their warehouse. The organization sells the fabric by the pound on their website and out of their retail store. Moreover, the EPA also reports that both textile and fabric account for 5% of total landfill space.
Moreover, Schreiber is looking to expand her operations to more cities and countries. She is focused on Los Angeles, which is home to the country’s largest “cut-and-sew” manufacturing facilities. Schreiber told the Sierra Club: “I think opening in LA gives us a really good blueprint for how we might be able to franchise this to other major cities.”
It’s good to see those in the nonprofit community finding ways to make their communities even more environmentally friendly, such as Fabscrap. Are you aware of any nonprofits in your community doing something similar? Share your stories in the comment section below.
