Nicole Bassett is taking on the 14 million tons of waste in textiles that Americans put in landfills each year. The apparel industry’s economic model depends on overproduction: the industry often throws out surplus clothing that doesn’t sell, and consumers are incentivized to throw out used clothing or clothing with minor defects instead of repairing it. To combat this wastefulness, Bassett cofounded the Renewal Workshop, a company working to create a circular economy for the apparel industry. It reuses and recycles unused and malfunctioning clothing, making it shiny, new and ready for purchase online. Photo credit: grist
