An interactive exhibition titled "Material World" will open in Waterford, Ireland next month, aiming to reveal the environmental impact of fast fashion and textile waste.

According to Ella Ryan, Environmental Awareness Officer with Waterford City and County Council, the exhibition is organised by The Upcycle Movement and jointly developed with Waterford City and County Council and Wexford County Council. It will run from 18 September to 5 October, showing first at Waterford Central Library (on Lady Lane) and then at Dungarvan Library (on Davitt's Quay).

The centrepiece of the exhibition is a spherical sculpture made entirely from recycled textiles, surrounded by displays demonstrating repair, reuse and upcycling methods, designed to help visitors understand the full journey of clothing from production and consumption to disposal. Mayor of Waterford Liam Brazil will open the exhibition on 18 September.

In addition, a free public workshop will be held at Waterford Central Library at 6pm on Wednesday, 23 September, featuring hands-on demonstrations of clothing repair, upcycling and extending the life of garments. Ryan said the exhibition aims to show people the links between clothing consumption, waste and climate change, and to offer practical waste-reduction solutions for everyday life.

The exhibition is a public education initiative by local government to promote sustainable consumption and reduce textile waste, reflecting grassroots concern about the environmental cost of fast fashion.

Source: Fast fashion and textile waste exhibition coming to Waterford libraries - wlrfm.com · Originally published 2026-08-26