As for my graphic novel, “Team Trash: A Sustainability Guide for Time Travelers” There was a lot of compelling history about clothing. A recurring theme (especially before the Industrial Revolution) was the reuse of materials. They remade wool trousers into blouses, then made hats, and then disassembled hat scraps and rewoven them into yarn (a crude method also known as “salvage”). Comparing this to today: According to the Environmental Protection AgencyThe average US consumer throws away 81.5 pounds of clothing each year.
How can we turn the tide when faced with such staggering numbers? It’s easy to become overwhelmed by statistics. Experts say the answer may lie in both traditional practices and technological innovation. Here’s where my journey began and how you can start yours too.
Jaclyn Peiser contributed reporting. Edited by Hannah Good, Carly Domb-Sadoff, and Robbie Olivas DiMesio. Design editor: Christine Ashack. Copy editing by Dorine Bethea and Ryan Weber.
