My blog, Seams Sustainable, is about sewing, and doing as much of that sewing as possible using upcycled materials and environmentally friendly renewables. I announced about a week ago that I was making a new dress using some recycled bedsheets I had obtained at a yardsale.
An anonymous commenter essentially said, "Ewww, that's gross". The person referred to the sheets as used, almost as though they were being recycled right off the bed. Now these sheets had been washed by the homeowner, and then by me prior to cutting them for the dress. I replied, "Do you ever stay in hotels?" Which earned a "Only if I bring my own sheets."
Now, I know anonymous comments are often meant to be insulting or provoke the blog owner into a fight, but it got me thinking... Are there lines in the sand regarding what can be recycled for crafting and what is clearly too gross to recycle? Are thrift store clothes icky because someone else wore them? Are clean sheets just a source of fabric or does the thought of other people using them put them on your no fly list?
What do you think? Can an item's past be redeemed in the recycling process, or are there just some things you won't recycle?
