Don’t despair, repair | Environment

Clothing and gear make up a large part of this economy. But there’s a problem.

Everything currently in circulation will eventually end up in landfills, according to Tahany Uerta (ex-product designer and developer for Patagonia, Black Diamond). There is currently no closed-loop product on the market.

Huerta stated that outdoor gear and clothing are not made with recycling in mind. This reality means that regular wear and tear can often lead to a trip to the dump.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans disposed of 16.22 million tons of clothing in 2014.

Huerta was inspired to change her career from product development to product repair because she recognized the limited life span of outdoor clothing and gear.

Huerta explained that although it won’t solve the problem completely, it is the most effective way of prolonging the lifecycle of clothing and gear.

She is now the head of the repair shop at Snow Mountain River (SMR), Flagstaff. Huerta estimates that the repair shop at SMR has steadily grown in popularity since 2019, and she currently repairs up to 400 items per month. This includes everything from puffy jackets and pants, tents, and sleeping bags.

Huerta reported that the most common repair involves a broken zipper.

Although it may seem like a simple fix for many, a faulty zipper can be enough to make people part with their clothes or gear.

Shannon Bollard, manager at Flagstaff Goodwill, explained that her team often receives clothing with broken zippers and similar damage.

This damage prevents an item from being sold on the floor and detines it for lower donation levels, such as weigh-and pay outlets. Bollard estimates that Flagstaff Goodwill receives four-five gaylords (or large bins) of unsellable clothing every day. That’s between 2 to 3 tons of clothing each week, according to Bollard. Simple repairs can make a big difference in the amount of clothing she processes each week. According to her, many people avoid repair because it seems too expensive and seamstresses don’t exist at this point.

Karen Schwartz of Flagstaff, a seamstress, says that SMR’s repair shop is better than a home-based repair.

Schwartz said that they have very special materials here.

She brought in an old jacket, which needed surprise zipper repairs.

She said that it was a large, heavy zipper. Joanne’s Fabrics is not going to sell one.

Huertas repairs can be done even with special materials for outdoor gear and clothing. Small repairs can add 10 to 15 years to products that are already expensive at retail.

Huerta stated that there is only one way to get out of the wastefulness in the outdoor gear industry. That is for production companies and other companies to take responsibility and produce biodegradable goods.

Outdoor gear and clothing are specifically designed to withstand outdoor conditions and so heavily rely on synthetics and plastics. It is a tricky situation. How do you make environmentally friendly gear that is resistant against environmental wear?

Huerta stated that we are not there yet. She added that this doesn’t justify the current push to produce more and better for the sakes of a bottom line.

Repairs are an option to address the growing trend towards wastefulness.

Huerta said that your money is your vote. Your money will go towards the repair of your item and not to creating more demand for new products.