About FABSCRAP

FABSCRAP is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit tackling one of fashion's most overlooked problems: commercial textile waste. Founded by Jessica Schreiber in 2016 after she noticed brands struggling to responsibly dispose of excess fabric, and later shaped by co-founder Camille Tagle, the organization now partners with hundreds of fashion, interior design, and entertainment brands to collect material that would otherwise end up in landfill. Instead of letting it go to waste, FABSCRAP sorts, catalogs, and resells it through its online store and Brooklyn warehouse. Shoppers can find everything from yard packs and cuttings to leather hides, samples, and yarn cones. What sets FABSCRAP apart is its dual identity: part recycling service, part creative resource, giving sewists, designers, and students access to genuinely unique materials at accessible prices.

Why People Choose FABSCRAP

• Fabric comes from real fashion, interior design, and entertainment brands — much of it deadstock or overstock you won't find anywhere else
• Prices are noticeably lower than buying new yardage from a fabric retailer
• Every purchase directly funds textile recycling infrastructure, not just a for-profit supply chain
• Wide variety of materials in one place: naturals, synthetics, leather, upholstery, knits, and more
• Options for every skill level, from beginner scrap packs to bulk yardage for professional projects
• Ability to shop in person at the Brooklyn warehouse or get a curated selection through virtual shopping appointments

Product Categories

• Yard Packs (Natural, Mixed/Synthetic)
• Fabric by the Yard (Naturals, Mixed/Synthetics, Lining, Knits, Upholstery, Wholesale)
• Scrap Packs
• Leather (Full Hides, Leather Packs, Fur)
• Cuttings (2–5 yard remnant pieces)
• Trims
• Yarn Cones
• Sample Garments
• Shoddy (recycled fiber filling)
• Gift Cards and Monetary Donations

Brand Highlights

• Registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, not a conventional retailer
• Has diverted more than 2.2 million pounds of textiles from landfill
• Works with hundreds of brand partners across fashion, interiors, and entertainment
• Offers free shipping on fabric orders over $100
• Runs a Brooklyn storefront alongside the online shop
• Provides one-on-one virtual shopping appointments for remote or bulk buyers
• Sells "shoddy," a downcycled fiber used for stuffing, insulation, and craft projects
• Hosts a public affiliate program letting supporters earn commission while spreading the mission

Customer Experience

Shopping FABSCRAP feels more like treasure hunting than standard online retail — inventory changes constantly since it depends on what brands donate that week. The site is straightforward to browse by category, fiber type, or color, and checkout runs on familiar Shopify infrastructure. For anyone unsure what they need, the virtual shopping appointments add a personal touch rarely found in fabric retail, letting a real team member pull materials based on a project brief before it ships.

Trust & Transparency

As a registered nonprofit, FABSCRAP is upfront about where its inventory comes from and why prices are structured the way they are: service fees from brand partners and material sales fund the recycling operation itself. Policies on shipping and refunds are published clearly on the site, and the organization shares concrete impact numbers rather than vague sustainability claims, giving shoppers a rare level of visibility into how their purchase actually supports the mission.

Behind the Brand

FABSCRAP isn't run by a marketing team chasing a trend — it grew out of firsthand exposure to New York City's waste system. Jessica Schreiber worked inside the NYC Department of Sanitation before brands started approaching her directly with a problem no one else was solving, and that operational grounding still shows in how the organization runs today. Camille Tagle, who joined a year after launch, has spent nearly a decade building out the sourcing relationships and redistribution systems that keep the shelves stocked. Between them and a small staff, the team has personally sorted and rehomed millions of pounds of material, which is a different kind of expertise than most retailers can claim — this is logistics knowledge earned by literally handling the waste stream.

That hands-on history is also what makes the organization credible to the industries it serves. Design schools send students, sustainability-focused brands send their offcuts, and independent makers keep coming back, which collectively signals that people inside the fashion and textile world trust FABSCRAP's process. Its nonprofit status, published policies, and public impact figures give outside shoppers the same confidence: this isn't a reseller dressed up in green language, it's an organization whose entire business model is structurally tied to reducing textile waste rather than just talking about it.

Best For / Strengths / Limitations / Use Cases

Best for: independent sewists, fashion students, small designers, costume and prop makers, upcycling artists, and anyone who wants affordable, one-of-a-kind fabric with a sustainability story attached.

Strengths:

• Genuinely unique inventory sourced from real brands
• Strong price-to-quality ratio for offcuts and deadstock
• Mission-driven model that funds real environmental impact
• Options for both browsing shoppers and bulk/professional buyers

Limitations:

• Inventory is unpredictable — specific fabrics may sell out fast and never return
• Not ideal for buyers who need large, consistent yardage of one exact fabric
• Selection depends on what brands happen to donate, so it can feel inconsistent week to week

Use cases: sewing personal garments, classroom projects, costume design, upholstery and craft work, mending kits, and small-batch or sample-based fashion production.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What exactly is FABSCRAP? It's a nonprofit organization that collects excess textiles from fashion, interior design, and entertainment brands, then resells or recycles that material instead of letting it go to landfill.

2. Where does the fabric come from? It's donated by brand partners as excess yardage, remnants, cuttings, and sample garments from their production processes.

3. Can I shop in person? Yes, FABSCRAP operates a physical warehouse in Brooklyn in addition to its online store.

4. What if I can't visit the warehouse? Virtual shopping appointments let a team member pull materials for you over a video call based on your project needs, typically for a minimum order.

5. Is shipping free? Fabric orders over $100 qualify for free shipping, with a few exclusions like yarn cones, faux fur, upholstery, leather hides, and wholesale items.

6. What are "Cuttings"? These are remnant ends of fabric rolls or reference cuts sent to design teams, usually sold in smaller quantities at reduced prices.

7. What is "Shoddy"? It's downcycled fiber made by shredding small fabric scraps, commonly used for stuffing, insulation, or craft filling.

8. Does FABSCRAP accept donations? Yes, both monetary donations and material donations from businesses are part of how the organization funds and sustains its recycling work.

Affiliate Disclosure

This post contains affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase through the FABSCRAP link provided (https://shopfabscrap.org/?ref=hzxwhfcd).