Taking brand new, unused fabric and saving it from the landfill is the goal of FABSCRAP, which recycles what designers leave behind.

Jessica Schreiber and Camille Tagle started FABSCRAP, a recycling non-profit back in 2016.

The pair aims to solve the textile waste problem in the fashion industry by working with companies in the Garment District. 
   
“The goal is to really divert as much fabric from landfills as possible, and FABSCRAP works specifically with commercial waste,” says Tagle.

They take all sorts of brand new unused fabric waste from fabric samples to extra yardage.
   
“It's a lot. It's estimated there are 900 designers in New York City.  We are working with about 300 of them,” says Schreiber.

Since FABSCRAP started in 2016, they say they have saved more than 250,000 pounds of fabric from the landfills, and they say that's not an estimation because each incoming bag gets weighed.
   
“I was overwhelmed by the number of bags here, it's frightening and daunting,” says 

Marla Tepper, of Park Slope, is one of FABSCRAP’s volunteers, helping to sort the fabric.

She says volunteers can take home whatever fabric they want for free. FABSCRAP also sells the left overs to the public. 

“It's great that we can contribute helping to recycle the fabrics here,” says Tepper.