Despite the overwhelming number of charity shops and recycling opportunities, there are still many issues surrounding the recycling and disposal of textiles. In the US alone 11 million tonnes of textiles end up in landfills despite charities acting as a repository for it. The trouble with the use of landfills is that the natural fibres that often make up textiles take hundreds of years to decompose. Once in the landfills they can release methane and CO2 gas into the atmosphere. More durable textiles manufactured from synthetics are not designed to decompose.

The mainstream fashion industry is unsustainable, and needs to be challenged and I feel I can approach this subject throughout this project. By approaching the idea of recycling in this hugely popular industry I feel that individuals who usually wouldn’t consider this issue will be made aware of it. I hope to create a piece that raises awareness of the good recycling textiles does. In these early stages I have looked at the work of Alexander McQueen and the way he incorporates nature into his work.