A few months ago, we interviewed Sonja Marchesi of the CEAS Service – Tutti per la Terra – Unione Comuni Modenesi Area Nord. At that time, we were on the eve of the first edition of the " Small Textile Reuse Festival ." In parallel with the activities scheduled for the Festival, which took place from February 15th to March 28th, a questionnaire was published. The goal? To gather useful data to understand how and whether the practice of reusing textiles can contribute to reducing the environmental impact in terms of waste.

Reusing fabrics: structuring the questionnaire

The questionnaire was structured into three sections: personal data, the practice of recycling used clothing, and fabric reuse.

Published on Facebook and Instagram via Google Drive, the survey was structured with closed and open-ended questions, as well as multiple-choice responses. The data collected is very satisfying and helps us understand that the practice of textile reuse is widespread and that a significant portion of the sample would be interested in learning more about the topic. But let's proceed in order and look at the most interesting percentages in relation to the sections reported above.

Personal data.

204 respondents responded to the questionnaire. 39,7% were aged 40-49, 19,6% were aged 30-39, and 18,6% were aged 50-59. The lowest percentage recorded was 7,4% aged 19-29. 82,8% of the sample was female, while the remaining 17,2% was male. Regarding educational qualifications, 42,2% had a high school diploma or higher, while 28,3% had a high school diploma. The sample's household composition was as follows:

reuse of fabrics graphic 1

The highest percentage is found in households of four. As we'll see in the following paragraphs, in larger families, textile reuse is widely practiced, meaning garments are passed from one child to another, or even from one family to another. This allows for the reuse of a single item of clothing and reduces the costs associated with purchasing new items.

As regards marital status, the following graph shows that 55,4% of the sample is married.

reuse of fabrics graphic 2

The questionnaire was administered throughout Italy. The highest percentages were recorded in Friuli Venezia Giulia (28,4%) and Emilia Romagna (37,7%).

The practice of recycling used clothes.

The first question in this section was: " Have you ever exchanged used clothes with anyone? " 91,2% answered affirmatively. Those who answered YES were then asked to indicate with whom they exchanged clothes: family members, acquaintances, and strangers. The highest percentage was with family members (74,7%).

The exchanged clothes included both adult and children's clothing. 94,3% of the exchanges were made as donations, meaning no money was requested. The exchange of clothing in the form of donations can also be seen as an additional means of sharing between people. The relationship between the giver and the receiver, without any financial gain, suggests how interpersonal relationships can also be forged through the recycling network. This aspect should not be underestimated. 78,8% of the sample gave and took used clothing, 20,2% only gave used clothing, and 2,5% only took used clothing. Before the actual exchange, that is, the moment in which the clothes were passed from one person to another, the sample answered the question, "How did you 'present' the clothes before the actual exchange?"

The answers to this question are very interesting and are consistent with what was written above. Interaction between people is very important. It is perhaps the primary moment in which information is exchanged and dialogue is initiated, and these interactions were achieved through social media, flea markets, school networks, family networks, and associations. The highest percentage of respondents (71,7%) were found in the family network, confirming the previous data recorded in the second question already analyzed.

Another percentage is the 60,3% of those who believe that it is very important to exchange clothes.

On a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 was " not at all important " and 5 was " very important "), recording such a high percentage is of primary importance. This leaves ample scope for considering intensifying information and awareness-raising practices on the topic of exchanging and reusing fabrics/clothes.

reuse of fabrics graphic 3

Noteworthy is the 96,6% of the sample population that believes the practice of exchanging clothes can be considered "recycling." These percentages are crucial, especially since, even more importantly, 99,5% of respondents answered affirmatively to the question " Do you think this practice saves money ?" Indeed, exchanging clothes that can be reused and therefore given a second life also leads to significant financial savings, considering that, especially in recent years, the cost of raw materials has increased exponentially. According to the latest data collected (source: Household expenditure by category European Union, 2020), Italians spend an average of €710 per year on clothing, exceeding the European average of around €490.

And what about the environmental impact? In addition to the economic savings, there's also a significant reduction in waste generated by discarded and incorrectly disposed of textiles. When asked, " Do you think that by increasing this practice, the environmental impact, in terms of waste, could decrease?"

the answer is overwhelming:

reuse of fabrics graphic 4

In this regard, please refer to the link https://sociologicamente.it/clothes-swap-il-riciclo-di-vestiti-come-nuova-frontiera-dellusato-sostenibile/ for further information.

When we talk about the environment, the concept of sustainability is now associated with it.

The percentages of responses to the question “ In your opinion, what is meant by environmental sustainability? ” are reported (more than one answer could have been given):

To the question: “ Are you aware of the existence of e-commerce sites that allow the exchange of clothes ?” 88,7% of the sample answered affirmatively, while 11,3% were not aware of any e-commerce sites that allow the exchange of clothes.

Reuse of fabrics

Let's now analyze the data from the last section. Without underestimating the data recorded and discussed in the previous section, the data we'll present shortly allows us to understand how each person, before throwing away a garment (which increases waste, increases environmental impact, and costs money to buy new items), understands that it's possible to do something else (be it donating it, remaking it, using it in another way, or selling it).

An open-ended question was asked, requiring a response. The question was: " Have you ever reused textiles you no longer wore? If so, how ?"

All the responses were analyzed and below we report the most recurring and significant ones:

  • Making clothes for dolls;
  • To make puppets;
  • For cleaning;
  • I made a bag with some jeans;
  • Patches;
  • Yes, even though I don't have cooking skills, my family is a family of seamstresses and I asked them to make other items from clothes I no longer use, such as towels, blankets, curtains etc.;
  • Yes, by reshaping other clothes. For example: a pair of jeans can be repurposed into shorts for the summer;
  • Rags or disguise for children;
  • Gardening clothes, gym clothes, sports clothes, blankets;
  • “Creative” use as a scenographic element;
  • I sewed the fabric in a more modern style:
  • Making bags to store other items, rugs with strips of fabric, unraveling sweaters into balls of yarn to make squares for blankets.

As you can see, there are a variety of uses for used clothes before they're thrown away. These range from household cleaning to carnival costumes, from repurposing them with the help of a seamstress to creating home furnishings, or even donating them to others.

Despite all these activities, 87,7% of the sample had never participated in training or information events discussing textile reuse, and only 19,6% of their municipalities had organized awareness events about this practice, which, as we've seen, offers multiple benefits. 77,5% would be interested in more information.

Is it really necessary to always buy?

Fashion is inexorably evolving, and we live in an era where obsessive-compulsive consumerism has overtaken ethical and moral values ​​related to environmental sustainability. Sometimes, the need to be fashionable at all costs leads to distorted behavior from various perspectives.

Let's look at the questions and graphs in detail:

Fast fashion, literally translated as "fast fashion," is a modern term used by fashion retailers to describe designs that quickly move from the runways and influence current fashion trends. Without delving into the specifics of fast fashion, it's important to note that the emphasis is on optimizing certain aspects of the production chain, so that fashion lines are designed and produced quickly and economically, allowing consumers to purchase increasingly more items at lower prices. Consumers may even purchase items unnecessarily, and for this reason, every year, the waste resulting from unused and discarded clothing increases.

The data collected has provided us with a clear understanding of the situation. Many recycle, reuse, and repurpose, and would like to be informed and trained on the correct practice of reusing clothing. Others, however, need to be fully educated. We can all be agents of change. All we need is the will, the information, the training, and the action. We hope this article has sparked curiosity and interest in the practice of reusing textiles.

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