Used clothing gets new life at San Francisco public libraries through free fix-it clinics

Used clothing is getting a new makeover inside San Francisco public libraries and avoiding the landfill as part of a unique collaboration between city departments and a local nonprofit.

On a recent Saturday there was a long line of people inside the Parkside branch of the San Francisco Public Library. However, the main activity was not checking out or returning books. With five experts manning sewing machines, crimping scissors, and needles, the focus is on restoring old clothes and bringing them back to life - completely free of charge.

The Clothing Repair Clinics began in 2023, and they circulate in many different branches. The San Francisco Public Library says the program is a partnership with the city's Environment Department and SCRAP, a nonprofit that repuposes surplus art materials for creative use. The program also provides free bike repair clinics at libraries in conjuction with Bay Area Bike Mobile. 

No RSVP is needed and the services are first-come, first-served.

"We're definitely more than books. This is like a great example of the community coming together, people getting to connect and learn something different," said Chris Hosler of the San Francisco Public Library.

"What a great idea," exclaimed San Franciscan Barbara Koh, who brought in a fraying silk jacket that she bought decades ago in Beijing for her mother who has since passed away. 

"It got frayed and so now i figure i can wear it," Koh said. "So, it does have a lot of meaning for me."

"We put on 10 fix-it clinics like this a year and people bring in one item of clothing to save it from landfill and have it fixed with expert mender," said SCRAP textile volunteer Amy Auerbach.

The program addresses a major problem, what's known as "fast fashion." According to global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, today's clothing industry leaves a big environmental impact.

A United Nations report also provides some jaw-dropping statistics. Each year, we throw away millions of tons of clothing with 92 million tons going in landfills worldwide. These textiles slowly rot and release greenhouse gases, while synthetic or mixed fabrics release chemicals, microplastics, and forever chemicals.

San Francisco city officials noticed more textiles are ending up in the trash, and in order to keep good quality textiles out of the landfill, they began to offer an incentive to repair them.

Resident Tara Safaie brought in one of her favorite Ralph Lauren plaid shirts.

"The cuff has come undone, and I love this shirt," Safaie said.

Her mender Tria Connell came up with a fashionable solution. She added a strip of denim over the frayed cuff, using a scrap that she fished out of a bundle. It was an easy fix.

"I think it's great! Look at that wonderful stitch. It's been reinforced!" Safaie exclaimed.

"We've been at 24 branch libraries so far," said Joseph Piasecki, San Francisco Environment Department spokesperson. "Not only will the repair group from scrap fix your garment, but they'll also tell you and show you what they are doing so any easy fix is something you may be able to do at home in the future."