Sophie Ingersoll

Artist's Statement

“The Average US Consumer Throws Away 81.5lbs of Clothes Every Year. In America
alone, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste – equivalent to 85% of all textiles – end up in landfills on a yearly basis” (Martina Igini). That is a sobering reality to think about. How much waste are we creating? “The fashion industry is responsible for 20% of global waste water” (Martina Igini). When it comes to Earth’s valuable resources, water is our most vital for survival. So why are we so carelessly wasting it? “The volume of clothing Americans throw away each year has doubled in the last 20 years, from 7 million to 14 million tons” (Rachel Brown). That being said, how can we better reuse and recycle our clothing products so that it is not as much of a waste — so that we effectively reduce? “Even if we tried to recycle all of our old clothes, it’s important to acknowledge that a lot of these textiles —about 60 percent of them — are not recyclable in the first place, which is why they end up in landfills or burned. Many of our clothes are made with plastic” (Global Warming Solutions). On a more positive note, if we find ways to repurpose old clothes and to consume less of the clothing industry (creating a smaller demand), we can hopefully reduce these staggering statistics and create a healthier planet.

"Clothing Recycling"