Alert to all fabric recyclers and others-

       The project  Freebox  or Caja de Gracias  is pushed to its limits.  We need to redirect the attention of the Town of Taos and Taos County to the problem.  The estimated weight of textile waste generated  daily in Taos county is 1.5 tons.  This includes freeboxes and second hand stores. That's 547 tons of cloth per year, here!  (Taos, 10,000 people=10,000 pairs of underpants!) What if that material were baled into small compact blocks and used like straw bales to form the walls of houses?  Another alternative is to make bales that can be sold and transported to a Material Recovery Facility, in the same way that cardboard, paper and aluminum are recycled.  Even transporting good material to Mexico is a feasible alternative, compared to dumping. These are things we propose to do in order to use the rags locally and keep it out of the landfills. Many fabrics carry the imprint of different cultures which may never be produced again. The materials are destroyed in dirt and moisture; also throwing away all the energy it took to create them. That is why we are  concerned with the textile waste.

        Why is it so easy and accepted to throw away everything?  We need  reusing and recycling resources like there is yes, tomorrow. Many generations are before, and beyond. Where are all the small batteries from flashlights, computers, radios and cameras being recycled in Taos County? Who is collecting them and how are they being disposed?  There is lead, cadmium, etc. Why is there no accommodation for household hazardous waste in Taos? So much pollution is caused from unsorted tons of waste.  A lot could be sorted out  instead of tossed. The earth needs to be cleaned up. We want to network with the community and ask for help to change this situation.

 

PROPOSAL