What are the possibilities of textile waste?
According to a Greenpeace survey, every Hong Konger discards an average of 15.4 kilograms of clothing annually, equivalent to 102 t-shirts. Data from the Environmental Protection Department shows that in 2020, 87,120 metric tons of textile waste were generated, but the recycling rate was only 7.3%, with more than 90% of reusable clothing sent to landfills.
Whilst the pandemic has put the recycling industry in difficult positions, the fast fashion market has grown larger – even creating an oversupply of second-hand clothing. Over 3,000 toxic chemicals are commonly used in the textile industry. Some of these chemicals are difficult to degrade naturally and will seep beneath the soil to pollute groundwater. In addition, it takes at least 200 years for clothing to decompose – releasing the greenhouse gas methane which accelerates global warming. This is why it is so important for the public to learn and practice the idea of ‘cherish instead of consuming, reuse instead of recycling’ when it comes to clothing items.
The Tee Knitter is a large hand-knitting installation with enlarged hooks to knit thick yarns. Participants can bring their own old t-shirts to be cut into yarns, and use the knitting machine to weave the yarns into cylindrical knitted items of different sizes. What can you do with the knitted structures? The only limit is your imagination!
