Chicago Textile Recycling

Happy Labor Day weekend from all of us at Wipeco, Inc and Chicago Textile Recycling!

Children's Books Series

We love educating readers and their families about textile recycling.

4 - I Had a Favorite Dress by Boni Ashburn AND Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

These two books are quite similar in that they start with one piece of clothing and as the item becomes too small or too worn, it is mended into a different clothing item.

Looking for style inspiration and upcycling ideas? Check out Chicago local J'en who fills her YouTube page with fun and creative video tutorials and more on how to restyle yourself, especially geared toward women over 40.

J'en Restyle Fashion Hi, I’m J’en—a Chicago-based upcycler, stylist, and sewing educator helping women 40+ elevate their style without constantly buying new clothes. If you’ve ever looked at your closet and thought “I have nothing to wear”—this channel is for you. I show you how to: • Restyle and remix w...

hildren's Books Series

We love educating readers and their families about textile recycling.

3 - Where did my clothes come from? by Chris Butterworth

This book talks about the factories, farms and forests where your clothes come from.

Children's Books Series

We love educating readers and their families about textile recycling.

2 - Jordan and the Magic Cape by Make Change Studios

This book is about a child's damaged cape that she refuses to throw away, insisting on going on more adventures wearing it.

Have you ever been interested in learning to sew or upcycle thrifted items? Chicago local upcycler Anastasia Chatzka has a studio where you learn to do that. She also has a large library of video tutorials on YouTube. Check out her page!

Sew Anastasia - Sewing Classes & Sewing Patterns Anastasia's been sewing over 25 years and loves it sew much. She's an enthusiastic sewing teacher that spreads joy and knowledge to all her students, a YouTuber that's made 100s of sewing tutorial videos with millions of views. A Brand Ambassador for Husqvarna Viking sewing machines and runs an onli...

Reju, a company focused on textile-to-textile material regeneration has recently opened a Research and Development location in the U.S. to further the field of textile recycling technologies. Read more here:

Reju Launches Its First U.S. R&D Center in Pennsylvania to Advance Textile Recycling | ChemAnalyst Reju, a company specializing in textile-to-textile material regeneration, has officially launched its first dedicated Research & Development (R&D) Center in the United States.

Children's Books Series

In honor of the school year beginning, we would love to share kids' book ideas about textile recycling.

1 - New Old Shoes by Charlotte Blessing

A book about the life of a pair of shoes bought new and then donated and sold used overseas.

It's almost time for back to School! As you Shop for clothes for your growing kids, remember to recycle all those textiles that no longer fit with us.

Could the narrative about textile waste shipped to Africa be wrong? Long held belief that over 40% of used textiles being trash has been debunked through further investigation. Read more here:

Textile waste exports: what we found in Ghana A field investigation in Ghana found little evidence of large-scale accumulations of imported textile waste at locations frequently cited in public debate. The findings raise broader questions about how evidence is shaping textile policy, trade regulation and reuse systems.