Bag it up

My brilliant friend Belinda loaned me the brilliant book by India Knight, Thrift. It's filled with good stuff. FILLED. But here's a little something I came across that's not so good:

"According to TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development), 900,000 tonnes of clothes and shoes are thrown away in the UK each year, of which only 200,000 tonnes are rescued for recycling. The rest goes to landfill."

Eek, so sad. But Edson Raupp is one man who isn't going to take this lying down. I came across his Suitcase shoulder bags made from resuscitated mens' suits at the V&A shop yesterday. Apparently, he trawls all over town liberating old suits from charity shops. His dad was a tailor, so he knows his way around a sewing machine.

On the way to the museum I'd seen a girl on the Tube with a bag made from a man's shirt customised with leather straps and buckles. So altogether I think I witnessed 1kg worth of upcycled clothing yesterday. Ergo, in 2009 we've only got 699 999 999kg left to save. Get busy kids...