Sewing on a button seems such a trivial thing, but knowing how to do it can reduce the amount of textile waste from landfill or incineration.

Textile waste is a growing component of the waste landscape. It’s found strewn across the Atacama desert in Chile, it’s shipped around the globe on cargo ships, and it’s taking up space in landfills everywhere. The problem grows exponentially when considering that 60% of clothing made over the last decade is petroleum based synthetics. When washed and dried in machines these textiles shed loads of microplastics into the air, water and soil.

We’re teaching sewing and upcycling skills to youth and adults as a way to keep these textiles out of the waste stream. We teach the care of clothing to minimize microplastics and how to identify quality fabrics that will last a lifetime with some repair skills.