Reusing fabrics meant for landfill

When I first left college, I worked for six years in the interior design industry as a textile designer. I worked for a company that promised zero waste. They probably came close to that in their factories, but I saw where the samples went.
The interior design industry throws out thousands of samples a day of fabrics, wallpaper, leather, vinyl and many other things.

About 10 years ago I used to live next-door to a fabric rep who constantly was throwing out velvets and incredibly high end fabrics. I asked if I could have them and I recovered a couch in a patchwork of beautiful colors.
I already make paper collages and mixed media pieces with recycled magazines and paper, but I have wondered for years about how to incorporate more of the reduce, reuse, recycle beliefs into my work.

For years, local fabric reps and designers have given me pieces of fabric that they thought I would like. I have found ways to use them or get them to children or art programs. But during quarantine, I was contacted by a design firm who was dismantling their sample library. Everything was destined for the dumpster. I went in and collected as many things as I could think of using. And now in my Noisy Flowers series, they are beginning to emerge as part of my work. There are so many things these days that are discouraging or feel like they lack redemption. The sky over Los Angeles this week (Sept 2020) has been yellow with a pink sun due to much of the west coast being on fire. I desperately want to do some thing. But maybe all I can do are little things. And maybe making art from trash is one of them.