FABSCRAP

New York-based nonprofit Fabscrap was created to meet New York City's commercial textile recycling needs. Materials that traditionally would have been burned or gone to landfill are now being properly recycled and made available for reuse. Much the larger remnants are made available to designers, fashion students, artists and craftspeople, whereas smaller scraps are shredded and used for mattress stuffing, or insulation.

The Fabscrap Warehouse in Brooklyn NY is open for volunteering, fabric recycling drop-offs, and shopping. Some larger pieces and Scrap Packs of smaller pieces, organized by color, are sold through the online store.

Q & A WITH Camille Tagle, FAB SCRAP CoFounder & Creative Director

Why is FabScrap such a great resource for designers and fashion students?

“Believe it or not, more than half of the fabrics that FABSCRAP receives through its textile recycling service are completely reusable! Whether it's trim, leather, cones of yarn, scrap pieces, or yardage FABSCRAP is able to offer all of these designer materials at discounted "thrift store" pricing to the public. Additionally, by shopping with FABSCRAP every 10 pounds of reuse fabric and materials you help save from landfill has the same CO2-reducing benefit as planting a tree!”

Do you have any advice for emerging designers on how to be more sustainable in their sourcing?

“While designing with all-natural fibers is one way to be eco-friendly, it's also not the only way! For example, creatively reworking leftover synthetic fabric that already exists instead of ordering a brand new fabric with 100% natural content actually better preserves our planet's limited resources. Another important piece of advice is to extensively research any vendor or supplier you may work with - this is key to being fully confident in your supply chain!”