How can I recycle (not reuse) old fabric scraps?

Question

I have a bunch of old fabric scraps lying around home. I practiced sewing using them, and now they are pretty much useless. Also, a lot of pieces are too small for anything to be made from them.

Do you know of any way in which I can recycle (not reuse) those fabric scraps? It would be a shame to just dump them into a landfill.

If you could help me out, that would be great. Thank you!

Answer 1

Give them to a child care center, quilting club, church or good will.  All of these will reuse them for you for crafts they work on continuously.

Answer 2

Throw them in a local clothing recycling bin, if you can find one (goodwill, Amvets, planetaid, etc.).  They take anything that isn't usable as clothing and sell it to industry for use as rags or raw fiber for other products.

Answer 3

It's possible your local small business cleaning company can use them.  How about a daycare center?  The little ones could use them for painting, making things, etc.  An elderly center?  The women may appreciate scraps to make a quilt.  Hope this helps you.  Right on to you for recycling!

Peace

Answer 4

unless you have bales of all one fiber recycling is not an option.  

Answer 5

Well  elementry school teachers  may  like   them  .  I  might  like  some  because I homeschool  and can   use   them  for art  class and  creative   crafts are  always   fun  to  do  with  my  daughter. Where  are   you  located?  I could pick  them   up  some  day  from   you .  Dianne in Velva ND.

Answer 6

I don't think that can be recycled.  

Answer 7

Synthetic fabrics, or natural fabrics?

The synthetic fabrics pretty much need to be tossed, if you don't have a craft you wish to re-use them on.  At the very least, they can be stuffed down an old tube sock, to make a chew/tug toy for some happy dog.

Cotton, wool, linen, silk, ect can all be dumped into to a compost bin.  It will rot, and can be returned to the soil.

You can offer it for free by the sack on Craigslist.  It's free to post an add on Craigslist.  What is junk to one, may be anothers treasure.  Someone may wish to shread it up, and do paper/farbric crafts.

You can call your local thrift stores, and see if they have a rag bin.  Most of them do.  The rags are picked up, and the thrift stores are paid a few pennies a pound for the rags.

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Avid crafter

Answer 8

i think you have to leave them in water for some time.

Answer 9

Use them to stuff pillows, cat toys or other stuffed toys.

Answer 10

Bury them in your back yard and they will decompose relatively fast and offer nutrients to the microrganisms and soil.  

Answer 11

If you give them to the pet shelters  they will use them as rags or throw rugs for the animals

Answer 12

The best use is for child care centers, or Sunday School classes who use them in crafts.  They generally use all kinds of fabrics, regardless of whether they are cotton, polyester, silk, etc.  Another possibility is animal care centers.

By no means should you throw them away.  Somebody can surely use them.Congratulations on being a conscientious recycler.  Thanks for trying to help save our planet.

Answer 13

Hi Look for your local wildlife group. they use all kinds of things people don't want anymore. The fabric would be good for making pouches for small animals.