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Welcome to my cranky place. I'm not always right, I don't always make sense, and what I say isn't always popular, but at the end of the day, it's plain where I stand.


Tuesday, May 25, 2010

At what point does "Being Green" stop being green?

I am a crafter.
I make things, design things, change things.
I start with raw materials and end up with a finished product.
I belong to various groups, forums, social networks all tied in some way to crafting.
Which brings me to why I'm cranky today.

Lately, I have been seeing more and more people talking (sometimes bragging) about how they are "Being Green" because they go to 2nd hand stores, Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc and buy up old clothes. Are they buying these clothes because they cannot afford new? No. Are they buying these clothes because their children grow like weeds and will only fit into them for perhaps a month? No. They are buying them to Destroy Them.
Sweaters being unraveled to be knit into... wait for it... sweaters. Now, don't get me wrong, if you cannot afford good quality wool for knitting this is a good way to go.
But to do this simply to "Be Green"? I don't think so.
Buying up all the wool suits and skirts and such so you can take them home, dye them and cut them into strips to use to make rugs that you don't want to ever have touch the floor?
People Donated those clothes to cover the needy, to help the less fortunate, to make life a little easier for those who might be having a hard time of it. The intentions of the donators are good. This is an excellent way to recycle things you no longer need. I do it every month.
That wool suit could be what helps a single mom find a better job. That sweater could mean the difference between warm enough or not.
Clothes are part of the trickle down theory too. If we who can afford better, stop the flow of clothes to those who cannot, how can we claim to be making a difference?

1 comment:

  1. I've never really bought into that whole idea. Personally, once something's been made into a sweater, then I say just leave it alone and let someone who likes the finished product buy it. Recycling the yarn really makes no difference in the long run. Besides, do people not realize that sheep actually need to be sheered? How's knitting not previously used yarn not being green? I mean, we're not killing animals just for their wool. We're doing what nature intended for them to have done - clipping it short and then rather than just tossing it away, we're using it. I think that's "green" enough. Good post! :D

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