Digging for Diamonds: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Reclaimed Textile Products

Recycling textiles is a process that affects many entities. It avoids the punitive costs of landfill, provides employment, helps charity, and moves clothing to areas of the world where it is needed. This study uses systems theory as a theoretical framework. The purpose of this study is to present a conceptual model and a schematic of the textile recycling process for postconsumer apparel and textile waste. The conceptual model presents the categories of sort classifications and suggests that an inverse relationship exists between the volume of goods and the value of goods. The schematic presents the wide variety of textile recycling markets that are available for the sorted goods. This research is based on nearly 5 years of qualitative data collection.