in addition to promoting a sounder environment by producing newer clothing made with sustainable, innovative materials, clothing can also be donated to charities, sold into consignment shops, or recycled into other materials. these methods reduce the amount of landfill space occupied by discarded clothes. according to the united states environmental protection agency's 2008 report on municipal solid waste (msw), generation, recycling, and disposal in the united states defines clothing as non-durable – generally lasts less than three years – textiles. in 2008, approximately 8.78 millions of tons of textiles were generated, 1.45 millions of tons were recovered and saved from landfills resulting in a rate of almost 17%. the epa report also states that the amount of msw being "discarded" is 54%, "recovered" is 33%, and "combusted with energy recovery" is 13%. approximately two-thirds of clothing materials are sent to landfills, making it the fastest growing component of waste in the household waste stream. , textiles disposed of in landfill sites have risen from 7% to 30% within the last five years.