What about This???

I want to put folks to work. Now that I'm unemployed, it's a good time to really get into this.

I have a great GREEN idea!

Take the throw away clothes that they can't sell at thrift stores and make them into rugs, bags, and seat cushions.

I was reading and article in the back-section of Mother Earth News online about frugal living, making do and living on less. One of the ideas was to use everything more than once.

Living on Less

I volunteered at the local Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store while I was doing my "Sweat Equity" for my home. I worked a lot in the clothing department. There was a lot of stuff we couldn't use - clothes that just ended up in the trash. Torn, dirty, stained, and so on. Not that it could be used by someone else, but it truly ended up in the landfill.

Why not use that material and make something useful out of it??? It would keep it out of the landfill, and keep our floors warm and decorate our homes.

Rag rugs sell for a mint! Have you noticed? Even the ones in big-box stores. And that stuff is all new material. It needs to be made: loomed, spending petro-fuel to make it. Why not use something that's already been made?

This whole idea would put 10+ people to work, keep stuff out of the landfill and recycle, and create a usable, beautiful object.

I talked to the head of the thrift store, and he sees no problem. They have to pay to take it to the dump, and this way they actually get to sell it - (a 50-gallon trash bag) to me to make into something.

It supports them, it keeps stuff out of the landfill, makes a beautiful object, gets people working....

About the people - they don't have to be hi-brain folks, but a couple need to be a bit specialized. I'll start by washing all the stuff, to remove any dryer sheets, softeners, cigarette smoke, and pet dander.

I can hire moms at home for a lot of it - making the clothing into strips and braiding it up. That can all be done by moms with little kids at home. They can do it while watching TV.

Sewing the strands together will be a little more specialized. I'll need a couple of heavy-duty sewing machines. Then, I'll need somebody to ship the finished items out to the buyers.

Sales can be handled on the internet or by catalogs. Colors will vary, but fabric content will be matched as closely as possible. That will take a little bit of training. Nothing about this is hard. It gives people jobs. It makes something nice.

Do you think we stand a chance???

I'm accepting rag clothing now, and I'll post a prototype photo as soon as I have a sample made up.