WASHINGTON — We’ve all got them, old tee shirts that we will never wear again but we just can’t bring ourselves to get rid of. Whether they hold sentimental value, or you just love the look of them, they can be tough to part with.
What if I told you there is a way to repurpose those shirts in a way that honors its value to you, is eco-friendly, and is super cute? That’s where Project Repat comes in.
Project Repat will take your special saved shirts and turn them into spectacular quilts!
Nathan Rothstein is the Co-Founder of Project Repat and he tells WUSA9 about some of the benefits of repurposing your tee shirts.
“By cutting and sewing the shirts and turning them into tee shirt quilts you're keeping them out of landfills and you're extending their life which really helps the environment more than often just sending them to Goodwill. If you preserve the life of a shirt for one year, that reduces the carbon impact of that shirt by 30%,” said Rothstein.
So how does it work? Simply gather the shirts you want to become a quilt and ship them off. Project Repat uses seamstresses in North Carolina to create the quilts. They can range in size from 8 to 128 shirts and only take a few weeks to create.
“Really, the highest value that shirt has, like your 5K shirt or your high school theater shirt, is the memories it holds to you,” said Rothstein.
Once your shirts are all cut up there are usually scraps left over, but they don’t go to waste! Project Repat turns those scraps into yarn that is then used to make you your very own pair of socks! Further repurposing your shirts.
According to Rothstein, up to 99% of shirts printed in the US can’t be resold. This means they will end up in the landfill. This contributes to the millions of tons of textile waste created in the US every year and to an increase in greenhouse gases.
So, if you are looking for a special place for your memories and a way to help the environment a tee shirt quilt might be a good place for you to start.
Do you have a news tip on this story or any other story? We want to hear from you. Tell us about it by emailing newstips@wusa9.com.
MORE WAYS TO GET WUSA9
DOWNLOAD THE WUSA9 APP
Apple App Store: WUSA9 News on Apple
Google Play Store: WUSA9 News on Android
HOW TO ADD THE FREE WUSA9+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for WUSA9.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "WUSA9" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE WUSA9 NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to our daily WUSA9 Newsletter for top stories from WUSA9 curated daily just for you. Get content and information right now for can’t-miss stories, Commanders content, weather, and more delivered right to your inbox.