Textile Waste Facts
A free 30-minute course about global textile pollution, environmental justice, and structural solutions created by the Aftermath Learning Lab in partnership with MFC Tie-Dye Inc. and the MFI Foundation. Learn more.
Objectives
Art
We are creating art advocacy installations across the United States to inspire awareness and dialogue about the impacts of textile waste.
Research
We are researching the environmental and public health impacts of textile waste using landfill simulating reactors and through analysis of big data sources.
Education
We are developing educational resources about textile waste and working to connect causing pollution with the people who are most impacted.
Meet the Team
Principal and Co-Investigators:
Julia DeVoy, PhD
Principal Investigator
Brian Smith, PhD
Co-Investigator
Mark Cooper, MFA
Co-Investigator
Martin Scanlan, PhD
Co-Investigator
Project Manager:
Dielle Lundberg, MPH
Project Manager
Project Advisor:
Sunand Bhattacharya, MFA
Project Advisor
Research Assistants:
Current:
Evan Warns (2020-2023)
Addison Metzger (2021-2023)
Kate Canniff (2022-2023)
Cecelia Cheng (2022-2023)
Griffin Lawler (2022-2023)
Lourdes Macaspac (2022-2023)
Former:
Eva Ottum (2020-2021)
Sarah Findeisen (2020-2021)
Evelyn Kotch (2021-2022)
Project Collaborators:
Make Fashion Clean (MFC)
MFC is a non-profit organization based in the United States working to reduce fashion pollution through reuse and upcycling. Learn more.
Matilda Flow Inclusion Foundation (MFI)
MFI is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that creates inclusive employment through upcycling used clothing dumped in Ghana. Learn more.
Grants
2022-2023:
Schiller Institute Grant for Collaborative Scholarship at Boston College
"Development of an Educational, Multiplayer Video Game to Address Environmental Racism and Drive Political and Community Action"
2021-2022:
Schiller Institute Grant for Collaborative Scholarship at Boston College
"Assessing Public Health and Environmental Racism Impacts of Textile Pollution through Computer-Based Social Justice Research and Multi-Media Art and Data Dissemination"
2020-2021:
Ignite Grant at Boston College
"Greenhouse Gas Generation and Other Human Health Effects of Post-Consumer Fashion Waste in the U.S."
Projects
Some of Our Current Projects:
Landfill-Simulating
Reactor Experiment
The lab has built three landfill simulating reactors which are being tested and put into operation to measure the health effects of decomposing textiles.
Policy Research
and Evaluation
The lab is conducting research on policy proposals designed to reduce textile waste and is evaluating their environmental and economic impacts.
Exhibitions of Aftermath Sculpture
The Aftermath Sculpture is now touring universities across the United States and is inspiring conversations and panels about the impacts of textile waste.
Symposia about Textile Waste
The lab is currently organizing symposia about textile waste intended to build dialogue about solutions between the Global North and the Global South.
Textile Waste Facts 30-Minute Course
The Textile Waste Facts course is now available online and continues to generate data and feedback for on-going improvement and development of new content.
Development of a
Video Game
The lab is in the early stages of conducting design thinking workshops for the development of an educational video game about textile waste.
Accomplishments
Some of Our Accomplishments as a Lab:
2022:
-
Exhibition of the Aftermath Sculpture at Boston University
-
Textile Waste Facts Course is Re-Designed and Re-Launched
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Exhibition of the Aftermath Sculpture at the Smithsonian
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Exhibition of the Aftermath Sculpture at Boston College
-
Textile Waste Facts Course Is Launched
2021:
-
Aftermath Sculpture Is Constructed
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Scientific Article Published in the Waste Management Journal
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Poster Presentation at the Constructed Environment Conference
-
Landfill Simulating Reactors Are Constructed
2020:
-
Landfill Simulating Reactors Are Designed
