Ever wonder what a dissolving wedding dress might look like? Yah, me either. But here is one for you to ponder anyway. This story made the rounds about a year ago, but I just stumbled across it recently on EcoTerre. Layer by layer the dress literally melts away, revealing 5 different looks for one poufy dress. Wouldn't that be fun for the reception??
The trick is in the biodegradeable material...polyvinyl alcohol. It looks like plastic, but it's the same stuff they make Elmer's glue from. You may remember that I talked about it recently in my post about DIY colored crinolines...they use this material for the iDye packets that dissolve in the wash.
What's the point, you ask? The project is a statement about our disposable society and the fact that textile waste is one of the fastest growing segments in the UK waste stream. According to the article,
74 percent of the 2 million tons of clothes purchased in the U.K. each year winds up in landfills.
That's a pretty big number and, sadly, it's even higher in the US. It's especially sad when you consider how easy it is to recycle clothing and textiles. The US EPA states that nearly 100% of textiles can be recycled...the easiest way to do this is to donate your used clothing, sheets, towels, etc. to a thrift store. What can't be sold for re-use will be sent to textile recyclers to be made into everything from new fabric to upholstery to insulation. Some natural fibers can even be composted.
The wedding takeaway here is to be mindful when choosing textiles for your wedding. Will those bridesmaid dresses really be worn again or will they end up in a landfill? Do you really need an aisle runner? Fabric bunting is adorable, but what will you do with it after the wedding? Yes, it's your big day and you should have it your way, but it's also a great idea to have a plan for how you can reduce, reuse, recycle or even refuse some of the "disposable" textile products associated with weddings. What's your plan? XOXO, Cindi
