Title: Rich Cities Producing and Exporting Tons of Textile Waste
In today's urban landscapes, clothes consumption has skyrocketed. Annually, an astonishing 80 to 150 billion pieces of clothing are churned out, equating to approximately 10 to 19 items per person on Earth. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) suggests that individuals are buying 60% more clothing than 15 years ago, keeping them half as long. However, these figures stem from 2016, which indicates a likely further deterioration given the fast and ultra-fast fashion trend.
The environmental toll of this clothing wave is immense. Producing textiles calls for an enormous amount of water – a single cotton shirt consumes the amount needed by a person to live for 2.5 years (2700 liters or 713 gallons). In terms of water consumption, the fashion sector trails only agriculture. Statistics from 2023 reveal that global fiber production reached an all-time high, with synthetic fibers, such as polyester, dominating the market.
Eco-conscious organizations have raised alarm bells about the fashion industry's emissions footprint. In 2018, this sector was deemed responsible for up to 10% of global carbon emissions. If no action is taken, these emissions could surpass 26% by 2050. Even some fashion giants, like Shien, have noted an increase in their emissions – from 9.17 million metric tons in 2022 to 16.68 million metric tons in 2023, equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions released by four million gasoline-powered vehicles each year.
Urban Impact of Fast Fashion
Beyond the gloomy emissions picture, our love of clothing also leaves a distinct urban mark. Bursting charity shop racks, overflowing thrift stores, and urban landfills filled with discarded textiles tell a tale of discarded garments' impact. In this regard, researchers like Dr. Yassie Samie and her colleagues at RMIT University focused on the fate of post-consumer textiles in nine affluent urban areas: Amsterdam, Austin, Berlin, Geneva, Luxembourg, Manchester, Melbourne, Oslo, and Toronto.
The team confronted the challenge of limited data availability for discarded textiles. Most waste management studies do not consider textiles, as they are virtually unregulated, leading Dr. Samie to gather information from numerous sources, including policies and academic literature, reports from non-governmental organizations, and interviews with relevant city governments, charities, and waste management organizations.
Their study uncovered a surprising trend: post-consumer textiles are primarily collected and sorted by charities and commercial resellers in high-income cities, with the exception of Amsterdam. However, the sheer volume of low-quality donations is overwhelming these institutions, leading to a significant increase in unwanted textiles in cities like Geneva (1200% over three decades), resulting in alarming gross weight (approx. 3000 metric tons in 2021).
Astonishingly, the majority of discarded textiles are shipped overseas to poorer countries in the Global South, where they contribute to pollution and environmental harm. This practice is now referred to as "waste colonialism".
Sustainable Solutions
Reducing waste and prioritizing sustainable materials encompass the core principles of what's known as the Circular Economy 3.0. This framework emphasizes waste avoidance, presently focusing on reducing and refusing waste production.
Dr. Samie highlights the need to concentrate on the first two of the 10 Rs (Refuse and Reduce) to lessen the demand for new resources. Consistent overconsumption and overproduction have reached uncharted territories, and existing waste management systems could be overwhelmed by the sheer quantity being produced, she explains.
By enhancing our culture of donating to charity and buying second-hand clothing, we may tame this rampant need for new apparel, but the challenge remains formidable. Dr. Samie emphasizes that local governments, urban planning teams, and charities can expedite this process by establishing more second-hand and swap shops, repair centres, and alteration facilities in shopping malls, retail parks, and other vibrant urban areas.
To strike a balance between consumer preferences and waste reduction, urgent action and cooperation from policymakers, businesses, and citizens alike are essential. Dr. Samie is encouraged by promising initiatives in various cities, but the clock is ticking for the fashion industry to transition towards a less wasteful and more sustainable future. Without concerted effort, our enthusiasm for fast fashion risk threatens to outpace our ability to tackle the mounting environmental and social consequences.
The fashion industry's reliance on synthetic fibers, like polyester, contributes to innovation in material science, as researchers continuously seek more sustainable alternatives. To combat the environmental impact of textile production and waste, the adoption of the Circular Economy 3.0, focusing on waste avoidance and reduction, is crucial.
The surge in fast fashion consumption has led to an alarming increase in unwanted textiles, prompting the need for innovations in waste management and reuse strategies. By enhancing our culture of donating and buying second-hand clothing, and by establishing more repair centers and swap shops, we can contribute to science-driven, sustainable solutions to reduce the environmental toll of the fashion industry.
