One of the most significant barriers to getting clothing reused locally is sorting capacity.
From getting the wearable clothing back to separating by fiber type & color, sorting is key to maintaining the value of our textiles.
In January, we went through 500 lbs of credentialed clothing - the stuff donated by the community into those clothing & shoe recycling bins you see in the parking lots of local businesses and shopping centers.
At two events in January camped out in a carport, our team of volunteers sorted through a pile of material.
2 days
14 volunteers
18 people-hours
The “Good Stuff” was donated to Note in the Pocket, a Raleigh organization dedicated to providing kids with quality clothing, and a great example of the best use for old clothes.
The Unwearables were sorted into categories to give us the best chance of finding them a good home. Polyester can be melted back down into plastic, denim used as insulation, and miscellaneous fabrics given a new life with a little imagination and a sewing machine.
Email us at CircularTriangleNC@gmail.com if you’ve got recommendations for where our textiles should go!
Clothing Swaps are another great way to keep textiles local - people bring things they’re ready to have out of their closet and swap for something new!
With the only requirement being a space to host and people with clothes, swap events are easy to put on, but be prepared for leftovers!
Our inagural swap event at Volume Records in Hillsborough was a great success, and we walked away with 100 lbs of donations for Note in the Pocket!
