WENZHOU, China — At a factory in Zhejiang province on China’s eastern coast, two mounds of discarded cotton clothing and bed linens, loosely separated into dark and light colors, pile up on a workroom floor. Jacket sleeves, collars and brand labels protrude from the stacks as workers feed the garments into shredding machines.
![China](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C888 1333w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C984 1476w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/35/4350ad8f-8168-5465-9aa8-0101db5107db/6695307cbef18.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1175 2008w)
A worker feeds discarded textiles into a shredding machine March 20 at Wenzhou Tiancheng Textile Co. in China.
It’s the first stage of a new life for the textiles, part of a recycling effort at the Wenzhou Tiancheng Textile Co., one of the largest cotton recycling plants in China.
Textile waste is an urgent global problem, with only 12% recycled worldwide, according to fashion sustainability nonprofit Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Even less — only 1% — are castoff clothes recycled into new garments; the majority is used for low-value items like insulation or mattress stuffing.
Nowhere is the problem more pressing than in China, the world’s largest textile producer and consumer, where more than 26 million tons of clothes are thrown away each year, according to government statistics. Most of it ends up in landfills.
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And factories like this one are barely making a dent in a country whose clothing industry is dominated by “fast fashion” — cheap clothes made from unrecyclable synthetics, not cotton. Produced from petrochemicals that contribute to climate change, air and water pollution, synthetics account for 70% of domestic clothing sales in China.
China's footprint is worldwide: E-commerce juggernaut brands Shein and Temu make the country one of the world’s largest producers of cheap fashion, selling in more than 150 countries.
To achieve a game-changing impact, what fashion expert Shaway Yeh calls “circular sustainability” is needed among major Chinese clothing brands so waste is avoided entirely.
![China Sustainable Fashion](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C888 1333w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C984 1476w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/e/c5/ec539b48-cd1d-583f-a738-06631829761b/669530859fbc0.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1175 2008w)
A worker labors March 20 at the Wenzhou Tiancheng Textile Co., one of China's largest cotton recycling plants.
“You need to start it from recyclable fibers and then all these waste textiles will be put into use again,” she said.
But that is an elusive goal: Only about 20% of China’s textiles are recycled, according to the Chinese government — and almost all of that is cotton.
Chinese cotton is not without a taint of its own, said Claudia Bennett of the nonprofit Human Rights Foundation. Much of it comes from forced labor in Xinjiang province by the country's ethnic Uyghur minority.
"One in five cotton garments globally is linked to Uyghur forced labor,” Bennett said.
In May, the U.S. blocked imports from 26 Chinese cotton traders and warehouses to avoid goods made with Uyghur forced labor. But because the supply chain is so sketchy, Uyghur cotton is used in garments produced in other countries that don't bear the “made-in-China” label, Bennett said.
“Many, many, many clothing brands are linked to Uyghur forced labor through the cotton," she said. They "hide behind the lack of transparency in the supply chain.”
A new caucus in Congress is trying to end fast fashion. They hope the public will reuse, rewear, repair and recycle clothes.
While China is a global leader in the production of electric cars and electric-powered public transit and has set a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, its efforts in promoting fashion sustainability and recycling textiles have taken a back seat.
According to a report this year from independent fashion watchdog Remake assessing major clothing companies on their environmental, human rights and equitability practices, there's little accountability among the best-known brands.
The group gave Shein, whose online marketplace groups about 6,000 Chinese clothing factories under its label, just 6 out of a possible 150 points. Temu scored zero.
Also getting zero were U.S. label SKIMS, co-founded by Kim Kardashian, and low-price brand Fashion Nova. U.S. retailer Everlane was the highest-scorer at 40 points, with only half of those for sustainability practices.
China’s domestic policy doesn’t help.
Cotton recycled from used clothing is banned from being used to make new garments inside China. This rule was initially aimed at stamping out fly-by-night Chinese operations recycling dirty or otherwise contaminated material.
But now it means the huge spools of tightly woven rope-like cotton yarn produced at the Wenzhou Tiancheng factory from used clothing can be sold only for export, mostly to Europe.
Making matters worse, many Chinese consumers are unwilling to buy used items anyway, something the Wenzhou factory sales director, Kowen Tang, attributes to increasing household incomes.
“They want to buy new clothes, the new stuff,” he said of the stigma associated with buying used.
Still, among younger Chinese, a growing awareness of sustainability has contributed to the emergence of fledgling “remade” clothing businesses.
![China Sustainable Fashion](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=150%2C100 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=200%2C133 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=225%2C150 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=300%2C200 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=400%2C267 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=540%2C360 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=640%2C427 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=750%2C500 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=990%2C660 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=1035%2C690 1035w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=1200%2C800 1200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=1333%2C888 1333w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=1476%2C984 1476w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/21/421c8007-62b8-565e-99c1-a39e164be293/66953080098f0.image.jpg?resize=1763%2C1175 2008w)
Founder Da Bao speaks to a worker March 18 at a workshop for Times Remake, a Shanghai-based brand that takes secondhand clothes and refashions them into new garments.
Designer Da Bao, 30, founded Times Remake in 2019, a Shanghai-based brand that takes secondhand clothes and refashions them into new garments. At the company's work room in Shanghai, tailors work with secondhand denims and sweatshirts, stitching them into funky new fashions.
The venture, which began with Bao and his father-in-law posting their one-off designs online, now has a flagship store in Shanghai’s trendy Jing’an District that stocks their remade garments alongside vintage items, such as Levi’s and Carhartt jackets.
The designs are “a combination of the past style and current fashion aesthetic to create something unique,” Bao said.
Zhang Na has a fashion label, Reclothing Bank, that sells clothes, bags and other accessories made from materials such as plastic bottles, fishing nets and flour sacks.
The items' labels have QR codes that show their composition, how they were made and the provenance of the materials. Zhang draws on well-established production methods, such as textile fibers made from pineapple leaf, a centuries-old tradition originating in the Philippines.
“We can basically develop thousands of new fabrics and new materials,” she said.
Reclothing Bank began in 2010 to give “new life to old things,” Zhang said of her store in a historic Shanghai alley with a mix of Western and Chinese architecture. A large used clothes deposit box sat outside the entrance.
“Old items actually carry a lot of people’s memories and emotions,” she said.
5 common recyclable materials for greener building
5 common recyclable materials for greener building
![5 common recyclable materials for greener building](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/0d/f0dce3ea-490f-51e1-b8ab-6446bb78821b/65d8c5936597a.image.png?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/0d/f0dce3ea-490f-51e1-b8ab-6446bb78821b/65d8c5936597a.image.png?resize=200%2C142 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/0d/f0dce3ea-490f-51e1-b8ab-6446bb78821b/65d8c5936597a.image.png?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/0d/f0dce3ea-490f-51e1-b8ab-6446bb78821b/65d8c5936597a.image.png?resize=300%2C213 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/0d/f0dce3ea-490f-51e1-b8ab-6446bb78821b/65d8c5936597a.image.png?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/0d/f0dce3ea-490f-51e1-b8ab-6446bb78821b/65d8c5936597a.image.png?resize=540%2C384 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/0d/f0dce3ea-490f-51e1-b8ab-6446bb78821b/65d8c5936597a.image.png?resize=640%2C455 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/0d/f0dce3ea-490f-51e1-b8ab-6446bb78821b/65d8c5936597a.image.png?resize=750%2C534 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/0d/f0dce3ea-490f-51e1-b8ab-6446bb78821b/65d8c5936597a.image.png?resize=990%2C704 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/0d/f0dce3ea-490f-51e1-b8ab-6446bb78821b/65d8c5936597a.image.png?resize=998%2C710 1035w)
The U.S. produced an estimated 600 million tons of construction and demolition debris in 2018, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's most recent estimates. Nearly 25% of that debris ended up in landfills; what remained found new life.
Many building components can be recycled and turned into new products. In 2018, over 27% of wood construction debris was diverted from landfills to become engineered wood products, compost, mulch, and fuel. Over 95% of concrete was turned into other materials like aggregate, and almost 77% of metal debris was diverted from landfills.
Reusing materials also stems the flow to landfills. Demolitions are the biggest culprit in waste, accounting for more than 90% of all construction debris, according to the EPA. Deconstruction is one way to divert this debris from landfills. Rather than demolish an existing structure, architectural salvagers carefully remove items that can be reused, such as doors, hardware, cabinets, sinks, tubs, and even old-growth wood. Architectural salvage shops and entities like Habitat for Humanity's ReStore resell the reclaimed items to those looking for historically accurate building materials for historical renovation or those who want to take an economical approach to home improvement projects.
Reducing the amount of construction debris doesn't just help the environment; it lowers construction costs. When builders deconstruct homes rather than demo them, they save money on disposal fees. If they reuse materials in a project, that can also save money in the construction budget.
Machinery Partner researched common recyclable materials that contractors and home renovators can seek out on their next projects or ensure are repurposed during their next demolitions.
Wood
![Wood](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/e0/ce00787f-503a-524c-b399-6fd699135fed/65d8c59b70550.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/e0/ce00787f-503a-524c-b399-6fd699135fed/65d8c59b70550.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/e0/ce00787f-503a-524c-b399-6fd699135fed/65d8c59b70550.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/e0/ce00787f-503a-524c-b399-6fd699135fed/65d8c59b70550.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/e0/ce00787f-503a-524c-b399-6fd699135fed/65d8c59b70550.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/e0/ce00787f-503a-524c-b399-6fd699135fed/65d8c59b70550.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/e0/ce00787f-503a-524c-b399-6fd699135fed/65d8c59b70550.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/e0/ce00787f-503a-524c-b399-6fd699135fed/65d8c59b70550.image.jpg?resize=750%2C535 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/e0/ce00787f-503a-524c-b399-6fd699135fed/65d8c59b70550.image.jpg?resize=990%2C706 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/e0/ce00787f-503a-524c-b399-6fd699135fed/65d8c59b70550.image.jpg?resize=1010%2C720 1035w)
Wood salvaged from older homes—particularly those built before the 1960s—is often called "old-growth wood," derived from forests harvested for the first time. These trees were older and had time to develop a dense internal ring structure, making the wood stronger and more resistant to decay, rot, and termites. Salvaged wood can be reused for flooring, siding, and tables. Wood pieces could also be reused as lintels, shorter studs, and blocking in the framing process to avoid cutting long pieces of lumber.
Metals
![Metals](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/ea/3eac3938-b77d-5276-b0eb-c39389d7613b/65d8c59d4c423.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/ea/3eac3938-b77d-5276-b0eb-c39389d7613b/65d8c59d4c423.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/ea/3eac3938-b77d-5276-b0eb-c39389d7613b/65d8c59d4c423.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/ea/3eac3938-b77d-5276-b0eb-c39389d7613b/65d8c59d4c423.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/ea/3eac3938-b77d-5276-b0eb-c39389d7613b/65d8c59d4c423.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/ea/3eac3938-b77d-5276-b0eb-c39389d7613b/65d8c59d4c423.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/ea/3eac3938-b77d-5276-b0eb-c39389d7613b/65d8c59d4c423.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/ea/3eac3938-b77d-5276-b0eb-c39389d7613b/65d8c59d4c423.image.jpg?resize=750%2C535 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/ea/3eac3938-b77d-5276-b0eb-c39389d7613b/65d8c59d4c423.image.jpg?resize=990%2C706 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/ea/3eac3938-b77d-5276-b0eb-c39389d7613b/65d8c59d4c423.image.jpg?resize=1010%2C720 1035w)
Steel and metals are simple materials to recycle and repurpose. Overall, 74% of construction steel is recycled, but structural steel has a 97% recycling rate, according to a report from the American Iron and Steel Institute and the Steel Manufacturers Association. Bone Structure—a home builder with locations in San Francisco and Quebec, Canada—constructs steel-framed homes made with 88% recycled steel, mainly from junked cars. Metal roofs are also gaining popularity—having doubled their market share to 12% of remodels since 2019—due to their durability and 30- to 50-year life span.
Hardware
![Hardware](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/ad/7ade83b5-29b9-5c24-bf11-53a0924ffd06/65d8c59f07227.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/ad/7ade83b5-29b9-5c24-bf11-53a0924ffd06/65d8c59f07227.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/ad/7ade83b5-29b9-5c24-bf11-53a0924ffd06/65d8c59f07227.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/ad/7ade83b5-29b9-5c24-bf11-53a0924ffd06/65d8c59f07227.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/ad/7ade83b5-29b9-5c24-bf11-53a0924ffd06/65d8c59f07227.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/ad/7ade83b5-29b9-5c24-bf11-53a0924ffd06/65d8c59f07227.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/ad/7ade83b5-29b9-5c24-bf11-53a0924ffd06/65d8c59f07227.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/ad/7ade83b5-29b9-5c24-bf11-53a0924ffd06/65d8c59f07227.image.jpg?resize=750%2C535 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/ad/7ade83b5-29b9-5c24-bf11-53a0924ffd06/65d8c59f07227.image.jpg?resize=990%2C706 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/ad/7ade83b5-29b9-5c24-bf11-53a0924ffd06/65d8c59f07227.image.jpg?resize=1010%2C720 1035w)
Salvage shops are a trove of preowned hinges, doorknobs, drawer pulls, vent covers, and more. Be careful with salvaged doorknobs you need to lock, though. Architectural Digest warns this hardware may not work when retrofitted, even if you have the correct key.
Plastic
![Plastic](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/ee/8ee27476-b8a6-5ffa-a98c-6895052c70b4/65d8c5a205b2a.image.jpg?resize=150%2C107 150w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/ee/8ee27476-b8a6-5ffa-a98c-6895052c70b4/65d8c5a205b2a.image.jpg?resize=200%2C143 200w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/ee/8ee27476-b8a6-5ffa-a98c-6895052c70b4/65d8c5a205b2a.image.jpg?resize=225%2C160 225w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/ee/8ee27476-b8a6-5ffa-a98c-6895052c70b4/65d8c5a205b2a.image.jpg?resize=300%2C214 300w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/ee/8ee27476-b8a6-5ffa-a98c-6895052c70b4/65d8c5a205b2a.image.jpg?resize=400%2C285 400w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/ee/8ee27476-b8a6-5ffa-a98c-6895052c70b4/65d8c5a205b2a.image.jpg?resize=540%2C385 540w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/ee/8ee27476-b8a6-5ffa-a98c-6895052c70b4/65d8c5a205b2a.image.jpg?resize=640%2C456 640w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/ee/8ee27476-b8a6-5ffa-a98c-6895052c70b4/65d8c5a205b2a.image.jpg?resize=750%2C535 750w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/ee/8ee27476-b8a6-5ffa-a98c-6895052c70b4/65d8c5a205b2a.image.jpg?resize=990%2C706 990w, https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/madison.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/8/ee/8ee27476-b8a6-5ffa-a98c-6895052c70b4/65d8c5a205b2a.image.jpg?resize=1010%2C720 1035w)
Recycled plastic has become a popular alternative to traditional wood decks, partly because it doesn't require regular maintenance and resealing. Companies like Trex, TimberTech, and NewTechWood all make decking and railing from recycled plastic, obtaining plastic from bottles, reclaimed wood fibers, plastic film, and plastic bags. While plastic and composite decks may be an eco-friendly alternative to wood, they can be more expensive and very hot to the touch if located in direct sunlight, home improvement expert Bob Vila cautions.
Story editing by Jeff Inglis. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.
This story originally appeared on Machinery Partner and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.