Nowadays, when many companies and people are seriously concerned about the state of the environment when the waste of resources on excess production of consumer goods is becoming more and more dangerous for the environment, it is necessary to find an opportunity to reconsider the consumption patterns and habits of people in the use of many products.
Only now is the garment industry finally taking a course on environmental issues in the form of product recycling and revision of production plans towards reduction. 57% of all discarded clothing ends up in landfills; landfills begin to accumulate, then the garbage is moved to the area for burning (Greenpeace International, 2022). According to research provided by Greenpeace International (2022), most of the mass-market clothing goes back to the Global South, where it was originally produced, as “recycled” but not used, thus it becomes clear that shoes, clothing, and textiles since produces an order of magnitude more accessories than humanity can use, it becomes disposable (Greenpeace International, 2022).
Some challenges and problems in the clothing industry can be solved with the help of recycling. Here we look at some of the benefits and implications of recycling: saving the planet's resources and shifting consumers towards conscious consumption.
The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry after the oil industry. According to research provided by Princeton University (2020) 1/10 of the world's freshwater is used annually to produce clothing - it takes 10,000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of cotton, or about 3,000 liters of water to produce one cotton shirt (The Trustees of Princeton University, 2020). In addition, dyeing textiles requires toxic chemicals that subsequently end up in the world's oceans. Approximately 20% of wastewater worldwide is associated with this process, which accumulates over time (The Trustees of Princeton University, 2020). Reusing fabric reduces the amount of resources used, such as water and electricity. Also, the rejection of additional dyeing of fabrics affects the amount of pesticides released into the ocean in the direction of decrease. Thus, the use of recycling reduces the harmful effects of production at all stages on the global ecology of the planet (Greenpeace International, 2022).
An important issue in which recycling is of great importance is the need to stimulate greater awareness of consumption. Today, the mass market offers monthly collections, mini-collections, and capsule collections. Thus, brands seek to attract the attention of people by offering a larger assortment. As of 2019, the current report shows that 62 million tons of clothing have been consumed worldwide (Ngan, 2020). Over time, the amount consumed by our society has increased dramatically over the past decades. A study by the Hubbub Foundation found that 17% of young people questioned said they would no longer wear an outfit if it was on Instagram (Terrell, 2019). Many buyers tend to buy new things not only to wear them but also to meet other needs. According to American Addiction Centers research (2022), 60% of people make spontaneous purchases due to a bad mood or feelings of anxiety, being depressed, most of this clothing ends up in recycling unused, with tags. Of course, this problem requires a comprehensive approach, but one solution may be to develop the popularity of various types of reuse or recycling of clothing. In recent years, many brands have appeared on the fashion market that is engaged in customizing used clothes, altering them, and dyeing them with environmentally friendly paints. Likewise, encouraging the use of vintage clothing and accessories as part of a culture of reuse makes the consumer more aware of the number of items being used (Terrell, 2019).
The fashion industry is currently responsible for more annual carbon emissions than all international flights and shipping combined (Byrne, 2021). If the industry holds its course, greenhouse gas emissions are expected to increase by 50% within a decade (Environmental Audit Committee, 2019). As the world's population exceeds 8 billion in the coming decade, further expansion of the fashion industry is expected (Wohlgemuth, 2022). A Pulse of Fashion report (2019) predicts that by 2030 global apparel consumption could grow by 63%, from 62 million tons today to 102 million tons, the equivalent of more than 500 billion additional T-shirts (Environmental Audit Committee, 2019). Increasing the life of clothing and its recycling and recycling is one of the most effective means of reducing its environmental impact. Extending the life of clothing by another nine months can reduce carbon, waste, and water emissions by about 20-30% each (Environmental Audit Committee, 2019). 240 scientists from the London College of Fashion's Center for Sustainable Fashion argue that carbon emissions and water demand can be reduced by developing clothing maintenance skills, increasing appreciation of material qualities, and "habits of the mind" that favor existing items over new ones, which then slow down cycles and consumption volumes (Craft use). WRAP estimates that a 10% increase in used sales could bring environmental benefits, reducing carbon emissions per ton of clothing by 3% and water use by 4% of water if it extends the life of clothing by 50% (Environmental Audit Committee, 2019).
In conclusion all of the above, we can conclude that humanity needs to adopt new rules for the use of clothing as soon as possible, abandon excess consumption and pay close attention to the problem of depletion of natural resources. The fashion industry market provides many opportunities for this now, from clothing libraries to subscription services for children's clothing, cafes for recycling and repair and peer-to-peer sales of vintage clothing, and peer-to-peer clothing exchange, there are also many new circular business models.
I hope that humanity will not need decades to understand the value and limitations of the planet's resources. We cannot endlessly and gratuitously use nature. The shortage of drinking water in some countries is already evident, as is the greenhouse effect, as is the pollution from landfills all over the planet. In my opinion, the reduction of production volumes and the transition to conscious consumption is one of the most important tasks now.
References:
Wohlgemuth, V. (2022, April 22). How fast fashion is using the global south as a dumping ground for textile waste. Greenpeace International. https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/53333/how-fast-fashion-is-using-global-south-as-dumping-ground-for-textile-waste/
Ngan, L. (2020, July 20). The impact of fast fashion on the environment. PSCI. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/7/20/the-impact-of-fast-fashion-on-the-environment
Environmental Audit Committee. (2019, February 19). Fixing fashion: Clothing consumption and sustainability. Publications.Parliament.Uk. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmenvaud/1952/full-report.html
Terrell, E. (2019, May). Research guides: Fashion industry: A resource guide: Introduction. Guides.Loc.Gov. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://guides.loc.gov/fashion-industry
Byrne, R. (2021, September 1). Resource use in the fashion industry. A Greener Future. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://www.agreenerfuture.ca/blog/wrh/resource-use-fashion-industry
American Addiction Centers. (2022). Shopping addiction symptoms, causes and effects. PsychGuides.Com. Retrieved June 3, 2022, from https://www.psychguides.com/behavioral-disorders/shopping-addiction/