It’s that time of year again! The weather is warming up, and it’s time for summer fun. At the beach, that is! One of my favorite things to do over the summer months is to wake up early, pack the cooler and head out for a day of boating on the river and then over to our favorite beach for a relaxing, fun-filled day with my family and friends.
Something we’re always sure to bring are big, comfortable beach towels. Those towels are the reason for this month’s blog post.
Unfortunately, it is the annual practice of many to simply ditch last year’s old pool and beach towels, oftentimes by just tossing them in the garbage, and replacing them with new ones. While I understand that methodology (everyone likes a new, soft and absorbent companion for the beach, right?), it’s important for us to be conscious of our textile waste habits. You see, pool towels like many other textiles can be repurposed or recycled, as long as they are clean, dry and odor-free… even if they are worn, torn, faded or stained from many summers of good use. Many of these towels can be cut up and made into wiping rags that are used by a wide variety of industries to clean in the repair and manufacturing process.
The importance of recycling our textiles, including those old beach towels, is this: it reduces the need to create more landfill space, the amount of pollution created by incinerators and also helps to save the environment from a multitude of harsh chemicals, waste products and waste water.
For this year’s summer season, before tossing your old beach towels, I encourage you to challenge yourself and think of ways that they can be reused or repurposed. One quick and simple idea is to cut them up into wiping rags for cleaning around your own house! For more information on textile recycling, I invite you to visit our website, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter for weekly crafts, tips and other updates.
