Fast Fashion Waste

More than 92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced each year, according to Earth.org. That is roughly the weight of 500,000 blue whales. As more and more brands start to expand online, our society has never produced more textile waste.

Textile waste is now measured in millions of tonnes each year.

The UN Environment Program has reported that the average duration of garment use has fallen by 36%. In 2023, only 8% of new garments were made using recycled materials.

Clothing production has grown while garment life has shrunk

Fast fashion depends on quick turnover. New styles appear constantly, prices remain low, and shoppers are encouraged to buy more often. Companies are pumping out online shopping apps, throwing ads in our faces and regularly doing large sales to increase revenue and convince consumers to buy more.

In many Western countries, the average consumer buys more than 50 clothing items every year. More than half of those garments are discarded within about 18 months.

That cycle has changed the way clothing is treated. A shirt may be worn only a few times before it is donated, thrown away, or replaced by a newer trend, because whats the point of keeping it when it cost so little?

The issue is not only how much clothing is bought, its also how quickly clothing loses value in the eyes of the average consumer.

The material makes a major difference

Not all fabrics break down at the same rate. Natural fibres can decompose faster under the right conditions, although dyes, finishes, and landfill conditions can slow the process.

Linen can decompose in as little as 2 weeks. Regular cotton can take a few months. Synthetic fibres are different. Polyester and other petroleum-based textiles can take more than 200 years to decompose. Some materials are even more persistent. Spandex and sequins can remain in the environment for almost infinitly long periods. Sequins are often made from plastic and attached to garments in ways that make recycling extremly difficult.

Waste regularly doesn't stay in western countries

Clothing waste does not always stay in the countries where it is bought. Large volumes of used garments are exported to lower-income countries through second-hand trade networks.

When local markets cannot absorb the supply, clothing is dumped in open areas, sent to landfills, or burned. This causes many harmful impacts to those countries, it increases local polution exponentially and dumped garments can clog waterways, break into microplastics, and contaminate soil. Synthetic clothing adds another layer of risk because it can shed plastic fibres during use, washing, and disposal.

The fashion industry is also linked to broader climate and pollution concerns. It is estimated to be responsible for about 10% of annual global carbon emissions and 14% of industrial plastic pollution.

Fast fashion waste is not only a wardrobe issue. It is a production, consumption, and disposal issue that crosses borders.

Recycling remains limited

Recycling is usually offered as a solution, but the current system is not keeping pace with production. In a reported figure from 2023, only 8% of new garments were created using recycled materials, which shows how little is reused and repurposed.

Textile recycling faces several barriers:

• Many garments are made from mixed fibres

  • The different materials require very different recycling steps and it is very difficult to separate them

• Zippers, buttons, elastic, sequins, and coatings complicate processing

• Cheap new materials can cost less than recycled fibres

• Clothing is often produced in volumes too large for reuse markets to absorb

  • Thrift stores are regularly overwhelmed with excess clothing and only a small percentage of donated clothes are actually bought

    
    

This does not mean recycling has no value. It means recycling alone is not enough to manage the scale of waste created by overproduction and overconsumption.

What you can do about it:

(No cost)

1 Be conscious Pay attention to what you are buying and focus on pieces that you know you will rewear	2 Take your time Think through your purchases, don’t rush to buy anything and avoid buying fast paced trends
3 Support local thrift stores Look for specific items second hand before buying them new	4 Delete any shopping apps off your phone Make it harder for yourself to access online shopping and create less of an instinct to browse mindlessly

Higher cost/time solutions:

1 Learn how to sew Begin with a simple tutorial online, something like a bag or a shirt. You can also learn how to repair old or worn out clothes

2 Quality over quantity Instead of buying lots of cheap clothes invest in one or two pricy items that will stay in your closet for many years

3 Upcycle If you're sewing you can source your materials from thrift stores. Things like table cloths, bed sheets, even button up shirts or t-shirts work great