While natural fibres are technically brown compostable materials, not everything that goes into a garment is written on the care label
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Whether it’s the drawer you keep old tote bags in or a forgotten basket of stained T-shirts, piles of miscellaneous fabric you don’t know what to do with are an almost unavoidable part of modern life.
While there is an industry body working on an Australian textile recycling scheme, it is at least a few years away. In the meantime, textiles that are unsuitable for charitable donations remain a forgotten waste stream, making it tempting to look for alternative solutions. Imagine how satisfying it would be to treat old underwear like food waste by turning it into fertiliser via your home compost.