How many hole-infested socks do you think that you’ve chucked throughout the years…or air-conditioned shirts that always seem to disintegrate over time thanks to heavy laundering, encounters with sharp objects and the occasional hungry moth? We may think that we’re doing organizations like Goodwill and the Salvation Army no favors by passing along our crummy, worn out duds to them – seriously speaking, who’s going to EVER want to wear things that are beyond repair, anyway? More often than not, we tend to err on the side of caution (or perhaps laziness?) by kicking them to the curb…which ends up presenting a real problem, to the tune of 68 pounds of unwanted clothing ending up in landfills annually. Not surprisingly, this material accumulates to such a degree that it hogs up 4% of our landfills, and given the fact that the space we reserve for our garbage is increasingly at a premium, we could certainly be doing something far more constructive with old textiles than allowing them simply just to rot.
Repurposing old textiles into new-to-you household and fashion staples is one fantastic way to prevent perfectly usable fabric from entering our waste stream, whether creating handmade concert tee quilts, dresses, bikinis, cleaning rags, shorts, pet toys or beanbag style pillow chairs. Still, getting involved in a fabric repurposing project can be daunting to some, which is why making a commitment to donate items that you can no longer use to a charity can be a viable part of the solution. In most cases, these organizations sort through garments, reselling things that are still in good quality while also sending items that are stained or in poor condition abroad to be used solely as rags.
Another consideration is making a fabric version of Ragball International’s handmade soccer balls. The for-profit organization with a heart of gold helps South African youth to fulfill constructive educational and financial goals by teaching them how to create “ragballs”. Melding the value of recycling with the equally important concepts of responsibility, entrepreneurial spirit and educational commitment, children enrolled in Ragball International’s program are encouraged to cultivate real life skills that will serve them well throughout their lives, giving them purpose and real hope for a bright future. The simple toys that they fashion with their own two hands – using empty repurposed mesh fruit bags stuffed with crumpled up newspapers and other street waste -- are sold internationally, with profits earmarked toward the actual student artisans who made them. As long as the children commit to maintaining good grades in school, their Ragball profits will continue to be earmarked for their futures.
Imagine paying homage to this inspiring program by creating a literal rag-filled Ragball, selling it to green-lifestyle enthusiasts who like the idea of offering their children (or pets) non-toxic toy alternatives and then sending the profits to the original South African artisans who need financial stability the most? Not only is it better to give than receive -- it’s even more fulfilling to know that in some small way, a charitable action we choose to engage in can also clean up a little corner of our natural environment. Any ideas on how to springboard off of this concept so it covers even more charitable and eco-friendly ground? Do you know of any other charities that breathe new life into old textiles?
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