Americans generated over 14.3 million tonnes of textile waste in 2012, mainly because many youngsters in the US lack knowledge about basic clothing care such as sewing and button repair, according to a new study.
Researchers have found that a significant gap exists in the amount of "common" clothes repair skills possessed by members of the baby boomer generation and millennials.
Pamela Norum from the University of Missouri (MU) College of Human Environmental Sciences, found that many more of the baby boomer generation possess skills such as sewing, hemming, button repair and general laundry knowledge than Americans 18-33 years of age.
Norum said that although these findings are not surprising, they are concerning considering the amount of clothing waste that is generated each year.
"In 2012, Americans created more than 14.3 million tonnes of textile waste," Norum said.
"Much of this waste is due to clothes being discarded due to minor tears or stains - easily repairable damages if the owners have the skills and knowledge to fix them," said Norum.
Norum's study surveyed more than 500 American baby boomers and millennials about their clothing consumption practices.
While baby boomers generally had much more knowledge of clothes repair and laundry than millennials, millennials who reported to have taken sewing classes or who had been taught to sew by a family member had more overall clothes repair skills than those that had no education on the subject.
Norum said this indicates the need for increased education on what once was considered common clothing maintenance knowledge.
"Traditionally, these skills were learned in the home or in secondary school," Norum said.
The study was published in the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal.
