Upcycling textile wastes through employment of people with disabilities with Link Up Waste

The Link Up Waste Project is an upcycling project developed by painting & wall covering contractor, Kawakami Tosokogyo. Launched in May this year, the project tackles issues such as textile waste and unemployment. It also allows the company to incorporate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into its business strategies.

The project adopts a streamlined process. Firstly, unwanted cotton textiles such as clothing and towels are collected and separated by Kawakami Tosokogyo. These textiles are then delivered to welfare facilities in Morioka city to be cut into different shapes and sizes. Finally, the textiles are returned to Kawakami Tosokogyo to be used for their business.

Before its launch, a pilot project was conducted to measure the responsiveness of the initiative. The project received a little advertising in Morioka city and was monitored for a month. A total of 44.3kg of unwanted textiles were collected.

The pilot showed good prospects for the project, specifically in the goals it aims to achieve. The Link Up Waste project focuses on two main areas: the sustainable management of textile waste and creating job opportunities for people with disabilities.

Textile waste is a global problem. Instead of being recycled, more than 70 percent of them end up in landfills. This project enforces a circular system for textiles to be upcycled into working materials for ongoing business productions. A reduction in textile pollution manages the problem of textile waste.

In addition, welfare facilities in Morioka city have a lack of job opportunities for people with disabilities. Specifically, there is a shortage of secured jobs, making it hard for them to be paid regularly. Outsourcing a portion of the project process to welfare facilities gives them a stable income. This enables people with disabilities with greater job opportunities in the future.

In the future, Kawakami Tosokogyo plans to expand the initiative into a donation project by selling these upcycled textiles and use its earnings to support cotton farmers and child labor victims in India.