By Danielle Hartley, Co-Chair Waste Prevention & Reuse Committee
We’ve all had a favorite pair of jeans that got a hole way too fast. Or perhaps, for you, it was the strap on your tote bag that snapped while the bag still had so much usable life left. Or, have you ever had the frustrating experience of taking a set of sheets out of the washer with a hole in them that just wasn’t there before? Chances are you’ve experienced these events, or something similar enough to be able to identify with the aggravation that comes when our stuff stops doing its job. If you're strapped for cash, replacing items again and again can put you in even more of a financial bind. If you happen to be ecologically minded as well, with the hopes of lessening your footprint upon the earth; well, then, these everyday occurrences can add up causing us to feel as if we’re shortchanging our goals. Not to mention, when clothing is tossed aside for minor issues like hems, zippers, missing buttons, and tears, it adds up. In fact, it adds up a lot - contributing to the 1.4 billion tons of textile waste New Yorker’s throw away each year.
For those reasons and more, we have taken on an old practice of hosting a mending circle. Gathering to sew, ask advice on tricky repairs, or work together to complete a daunting task has been done through the ages and was much more common before fast fashion and the excess and disposable consumer culture climaxed through the 80s, 90s and early aughts. However, as Peter Allen sings, “everything old is new again.” And while in its very nature a mending circle is a small act. We’re trusting that these small acts will grow to become a revolutionary force within our communities. Mending circles popping up around Manhattan may spur new community ties and friendships, adults learning new skills, and the normalization of mended clothing aesthetics, all while addressing waste prevention at the consumer level.
As a brief recap of last Saturday’s happenings: The Waste Prevention and Reuse committee, with generous support from the Textile Committee and the MSWAB at large, hosted their inaugural Mending Circle gathering at the Morningside Heights Library on Saturday, February 25, 2023 from 2-4pm. The Mending Circle was attended by several community members as well as enthusiastic menders ready to lend a hand. The group has planned two additional meetups on March 25 and April 22, both Saturdays from 2-4pm as well. Please join us for the upcoming sessions! If you would like more information about how to start a mending circle in your neighborhood, please contact us at here or check our events calendar page for more information. We’d be happy to support your efforts.