Dogs at the Maui Humane Society with our cozy pet beds.
Finding a creative solution for textile waste has long been a passion for Jennifer Oberg, Director of The Sewing Hui. “For years, I dreamed of finding a way to recycle fabric scraps and worn-out textiles—items that too often end up in landfills despite their potential for reuse” said Jennifer. That dream became a reality through a serendipitous connection with Jerry Isdale from Maui Makers, who introduced her to Mālama Maui Nui, a local nonprofit dedicated to environmental stewardship. With their $100,000 industrial shredding machine, capable of efficiently processing textiles, the idea for The Pet Bed Project was born: transforming textile waste into cozy pet beds for Maui’s animal shelters.
200 lbs of textile waste donations from the Maui community.
At the end of October, The Sewing Hui celebrated an exciting milestone with their very first Shredding Day at Mālama Maui Nui’s baseyard near Puʻunēnē School. Thanks to their powerful shredding equipment, The Sewing Hui volunteers processed 200 pounds of fabric scraps and worn-out textiles into soft stuffing, enough to create 22 pet beds. These beds were delivered to our first beneficiary: the Maui Humane Society.
Sally Daniels, Cheryl Bien, Debbie Shimabukuro, and Jennifer Oberg at Mālama Maui Nui, shredding fabrics for the Pet Bed Project.
The shredding process, as seen above, highlights the simplicity and effectiveness of this initiative. By partnering with Mālama Maui Nui, a Keep America Beautiful affiliate, we’ve found a way to recycle materials that were once considered unusable and give them a meaningful new purpose.
This project is about more than just recycling—it’s about fostering a community-driven movement for sustainability and compassion. Every scrap, no matter how small, has a purpose. As we continue, we aim to expand our efforts to other nonprofits across Maui, finding ways we can repurpose textile waste in order to keep textiles out of landfills.
In tandem with our Pet Bed Project, we have also launched another sustainability initiative, Reuse, Rewear, Relove - Mending & Clothing Repair Sewcials–a monthly community gathering where participants are invited into our sewing studio to repair, mend, upcycle and restyle their clothing. As of November 2024, we have diverted 93 lbs of textile waste from the landfills through these monthly gatherings.
If you love animals, care about sustainability, or want to make a difference, there’s a way for you to get involved. Learn more about The Sewing Hui's Pet Bed Project here, and join us in creating a more sustainable and compassionate Maui! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to get all of the latest information for upcoming events or ways to get involved. If you would like to join our weekly newsletter then please also get in touch via thesewinghui@gmail.com. Let’s keep textile waste out of Maui’s landfills!