02- The Life Cycle of a T-Shirt

02- The

Life Cycle of a T-Shirt

Throughout my research process, I relied heavily on infographics to help me understand not only how chemical recycling works, but also how textiles (especially fast fashion) are consumed. This the simple life cycle of a t-shirt. Right now, most textiles eventually go to a landfill. With recycling techniques, I believe this will change, as instead of being destined to become trash, used t-shirts, shorts, and shoes alike will become vital resources to create new materials and clothing.

four assorted-color trash bins beside gray wall
four assorted-color trash bins beside gray wall
four assorted-color trash bins beside gray wall

You decide to get rid of a garment

A rip, stain, or giant coffee spill made a shirt "unusable"?

Goodwill Store sign
Goodwill Store sign
Goodwill Store sign

Your options: trash, donation, or resale

No matter your choice, your shirt often ends up at the same place.

A large pile of garbage sitting next to a metal fence
A large pile of garbage sitting next to a metal fence
A large pile of garbage sitting next to a metal fence

Where it actually ends up? Landfill

The majority of our clothing at the end of their lifecycles end up in a landfill.

WHY? LOOK AT THE ALTERNATIVES.

Downcycling = reused once

Clothing gets mechanically recycled into scraps often used for stuffing pillowcases and couches.

Upcycling = time-consuming

An amazing way to make one-of-a-kind pieces yet can be a very time-consuming process. It is often hard to scale.

Both?

Stop a garment from have a circular lifestyle, where it becomes recycled over and over again.

CHEMICAL RECYCLING KEEPS THE CHAIN FROM BREAKING.

CHEMICAL RECYCLING KEEPS

THE CHAIN FROM BREAKING.

CHEMICAL RECYCLING KEEPS THE CHAIN FROM BREAKING.

Chemical recycling pathway

The garment is broken down and repolymerized. Then, new cloth is made from old, allowing for us to reuse resources we already have and create sustainable material usage.

New material, new product

It returns as fresh synthetic fiber and new clothing.