Textile Waste-Focused AR Experiences

Reju, a company specializing in textile recycling, has launched an augmented reality initiative during Climate Week NYC 2025 to visually communicate the scale of global textile waste. The campaign superimposes digital piles of discarded clothing onto the Empire State Building and the Flatiron Building. This approach to visualization offers a stark, shareable depiction of an environmental issue that results in over 92 million tons of waste annually.

Reju's AR experience is accessed during Climate Week NYC 2025 by scanning QR codes placed around the city. These direct users to a microsite where they can view the virtual waste accumulation in real-time increments — from seconds to days — scaled against the famous structures.

This project is intended to serve as both an educational tool on the crisis and a promotional vehicle for Reju's core business, which involves converting old textiles into new, high-quality materials using technology initially developed by IBM.

Image Credit: