Fabrics

Agricultural efforts are best spent on food production, so growing fiber plants like hemp and cotton may not be feasable for some time. Luckily, reusing existing textiles is a more efficient use of time and resources. Below is a list of suggested uses of various materials that can be gathered from worn items that can no longer serve their original purpose. Reusing fabrics is advised instead of composting, as composting fabrics releases methane gas.


6:2:i) ARTIFICIAL MATERIALS

Our supply of materials available now, that are made of artificial materials, are finite. The most useful of what we can gather is fleece, a petroleum byproduct. Fleece is a strong and long-lasting fabric that is excellent for warmth. Scraps from unuseable clothing and blankets can be used to make new blankets and wraps for infants, who are in most need of protection from the elements. These materials are not biodegradable and should therefore be used and reused many times over.


6:2:ii) COTTON

Cotton fabrics have the ability to be reincarnated for many purposes as they get used more and more in their lifespan, eventually to be shredded into compost. Cotton clothing, bedding, curtains, etc, that are no longer useable, should be cut and sewn into smaller clothing for children, and also made into cloths for washing, diapers, menstrual pads, and medical bandages.

Read the next section, Glass, Plastic & Rubber...