STORY: Huge clothing pile in Prague created to highlight issue of textile waste
SHOOTING DATE: Nov. 12, 2024
DATELINE: Nov. 13, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:30
LOCATION: Prague
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MATEJ CHYTIL, Event organizer from Prague City Hall
2. SOUNDBITE 2 (Czech): Local resident
3. SOUNDBITE 3 (Czech): Local resident
4. various of the event

STORYLINE:

A massive pile of clothing has been created this week in the Czech capital of Prague to raise awareness about the issue of textile waste.
     
The pile, which weighs nearly four tons, symbolizes the amount of textile waste generated by an average family over its lifetime. It also represents the annual carbon footprint of ten Czech citizens if the clothing were new, according to Prague City Hall.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): MATEJ CHYTIL, Event organizer from Prague City Hall
"What we commit to do as the city and its organizations is to get some meaningful use out of the pile when we get here. So we've been discussing over the whole day, and we'll continue discussing avenues to recycle textile waste so that we can at least get insulation from some of it, for instance, or maybe recreate it into new clothing."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Czech): Local resident 
"Honestly, it's just straightforward -- the amount people would produce. It's just one family, you know. Incredible."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Czech): Local resident
"I think about how much clothing is really needed if it were to be bought."

Every year, according to Prague City Hall, each Czech citizen discards around 10 to 12 kilograms of textiles. From 2025, Czech municipalities will face new obligations to ensure separate collection and recycling of textile waste.
    
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Prague.
(XHTV)