Unfortunately, this is the reality. According to the national solid waste department, the country will no longer have enough space for landfills by 2050 if nothing is done to properly manage waste.
And one of the largest types of waste being disposed of in these landfills is textiles: it has been reported that a staggering 195,300 tonnes of fabric were dumped into Malaysian landfills in 2018.
In light of this, an organisation called Upcycle4Better, working with Life Line Clothing Malaysia, is on a mission to increase the lifespan of Malaysian landfills and make textile recycling accessible to all.
Founded in 2013, Life Line Clothing has textile recycling drop-off points located in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, and Melaka for people to donate their old clothes, bedsheets, shoes or curtains.
There are also regular collection events to encourage people to drop off their clothes directly.
Speaking with FMT Lifestyle recently, head of business development and marketing Andrew Jackson said 55% of the fabrics received by Upcycle4Better are sent for reuse by selling them within Malaysia or other countries.
The remaining 45% that are not in good condition end up being repurposed into new items under the Upcycle4Better brand, among other things.
This also provides a livelihood to locals as it supports up to 55 home tailors who are paid to sew these products, earning as much as RM400-RM500 a week.
Some of the clothes also get sold at Upcycle4Better’s own circular retail outlets such as Best Bundle. Located in the same building that houses its factory in Port Klang, Best Bundle sells not only preloved clothes, shoes and accessories, but also upcycled products such as rugs made out of old denim, with prices from as low as RM2.
Last year, Upcycle4Better converted 4,000 unusable shoes into granules that were subsequently made into rubber surfaces for a playground at SMK Bukit Tadom, an orang Asli school in Banting, Selangor that had been badly affected by floods.
The programme, called “Old Soles, New Life”, was done in collaboration with Dow Chemicals and Eco Knights.
Jackson pointed out that “the majority of shoes are treated, which makes them safer for the children and better for the environment” compared with playgrounds that are constructed using recycled tyres, which are more dangerous owing to the use of metals.
In addition, Upcycle4Better is working with online shopping website Zalora to raise awareness and make textile recycling more accessible to the public.
Through the platform’s “Clothes: Renewed” initiative, online shoppers will be able to donate old clothes at any of Life Line Clothing’s drop-off locations in return for cashback vouchers. This collaboration will be launched in the near future.
Overall, Jackson shared that he has seen a dramatic increase in participation from across all of Malaysia when it comes to textile recycling.
Nevertheless, he said, there was still much work to be done to change behaviours regarding discarded textiles among members of the community.
Asked how everyday Malaysians can help Upcycle4Better’s cause, he replied: “If you have any used clothes, try and keep them in the family or give them to friends. If not, donate them to a charity, or deposit it in one of our textile bins.”
He also invites one and all to get involved with Upcycle4Better and join its events, one of which will be happening next month in conjunction with Malaysia Day.
On Sept 16 and 17, Best Bundle will be holding what it touts as the “world’s biggest Transformers gathering”, where visitors will be able to shop, have fun, and take photos with a giant-sized Optimus Prime and his trusty lieutenant Bumblebee, while contributing towards a worthy cause.
Learn more about Upcycle4Better via its website, as well as on Facebook and Instagram.
For more information on the Transformers event, click here or visit Best Bundle’s Facebook profile.
Best Bundle
Lot 12, Jalan Sultan Mohamed 6,
Kawasan Perindustrian Bandar Sultan Suleiman,
42000 Port Klang,
Selangor