Every second, the equivalent of a lorry load of textile waste goes to landfill.
The Waste Mill (2061) views the fashion industry as a catalyst for slowing down global consumption, rather than propelling it. After receiving a code red for humanity warning in 2021, industries were forced to make a change to slow down the climate crisis.
This thesis is a speculation based on emerging research into science that converts household waste into new fibres using enzyme technology. Disused textile mills covering the north of England presented an opportunity to be repurposed as waste mill's which accommodate this manufacturing process. Not only does the use of household waste eliminate the need for virgin materials to be harvested, but also tackles the issue of general household overconsumption.
Rochdale's canal network to Manchester and other northern cities has become a vital route for transporting waste to the mills, just as it once was during the industrial revolution for raw cotton.
Local community members and visitors are able to receive benefits at the mill through the waste change system. Credits are received in return for donating waste to the mill, which can be redeemed to buy fabrics, book onto training sessions and join workshops.
The waste mill is not just a working factory, but a living archive and educational exhibtion of the history of the site and the textile industry. Visitors can learn about the past exploitation that fast fashion has led too as well as the future of fashion by attending visits to the factories sorting room, shred house and enzyme labs.
Rochdale's waste mill has set a precedent for other abandoned textile mills across the country in the lead to overturn overconsumption of the fashion industry.
