Editor's Note: We received this intriguing question from a Scouting leader, how do you recycle a flag while respecting it appropriately. When an American flag is worn, faded, or tattered, it should be retired with respect. But what happens next? Most modern flags are made from synthetic materials like nylon and polyester, which release toxic fumes if burned. Textile recycling offers a respectful way to honor both the flag and the environment.
We all have a favorite purchase that we'd love to last forever. Maybe it's a fuzzy blanket that nothing comes close to replicating, or a limited-edition, circa-2008 bedazzled iPod shuffle. As priceless as these things feel, they're not infallible. You've got about two to three years, give or take, before your beloved bed sheets and feather pillows are going to give up the ghost and need replacing.
Most cashmere comes from Mongolia and China, where cashmere goats are combed once a year for their fine, soft fleece; a single sweater can use cashmere from four or five goats. As the demand has grown, there are now more than 90 million of the goats in China, and around 25 million more in Mongolia. Overgrazing is turning grasslands into desert. The goats also produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
