ASEZ WAO hosted an upcycling event in New Windsor, NY, bringing together environmental advocates, local officials, and community members. Together, they transformed discarded textiles into reusable tote bags. The event put ideas into action and showed that small habits can significantly reduce waste.
ASEZ WAO’s upcycling event addressed two major environmental problems: textile waste and plastic pollution. Globally, 11.3 million tons of textiles are thrown away each year, and billions of plastic bags end up in landfills. Instead of discarding old clothes, participants learned how to repurpose them in useful ways. During the event, volunteers upcycled over 220 donated t-shirts and around 300 donated vests. Each tote bag created can replace about 52 plastic bags per year.
Turning Waste Into Everyday Solutions
ASEZ WAO offered a DIY upcycling tutorial, teaching skills participants can use for life. A plastic-free presentation also showed the impact of plastic use, helping attendees see how daily choices affect the environment.
Upcycling old clothes into tote bags gives textiles a longer life and cuts down on single-use plastics. It also offers a simple alternative to plastic bags. By repurposing hundreds of items, the event helped prevent textile waste while encouraging participants to see the value in things often thrown away.
Community Impact and Local Support
The event showed how the ASEZ WAO Campaign 6 encourages everyday habits that reduce plastic use, with local leaders expressing their support for the initiative. Brandon Calore said, “Environmental protection starts right here in our own community, and ASEZ WAO has been a powerful force in bringing people together to reduce waste and care for our shared environment. As a Town Council Member, I see how vital it is for local government, volunteers, and community groups to work side-by-side, and ASEZ WAO’s leadership shows what that collaboration can achieve. Their young volunteers bring an inspiring passion and energy to sustainability efforts, giving all of us real hope for a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future.”
Dr. Latisha T. Williams addressed the hidden nature of textile waste. She said, “People don’t realize [textile waste] is a problem. It’s different from when you see garbage on the street. People know about ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,’ but nobody associates that with textile waste. They associate it with a water bottle, a container, or a newspaper, so this is one of those unseen environmental problems.”
By combining education, collaboration, and action, ASEZ WAO showed how Campaign 6 helps communities reduce plastic use through everyday choices.
To view more ASEZ WAO events, click here.
