The avalanche of textiles : annually, of the 100 billion garments produced, a mind-boggling 92 million tonnes find their way to landfills.
In the midst of our fast-paced fashion culture, an often-overlooked environmental catastrophe is unraveling: the sharp spike in textile waste. A startling 811% increase in textile waste since 1960 has raised alarms among environmentalists, with the majority of discarded garments piling up in landfills. While the sheer volume of discarded attire is alarming, the broader environmental ramifications of fast fashion—spanning from carbon emissions to resource consumption—paint an even bleaker picture.
RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE GOALS
Here are ten figures that spotlight the gravity of the situation:
1. A Staggering tonnes of textiles waste is produced every year
Each year, a staggering 92 million tonnes of textile waste are produced. With 100 billion garments made annually, 92 million tonnes find their final resting place in landfills. To make this more tangible, envision a garbage truck filled with discarded clothing being dumped into a landfill every second. At this rate, experts predict that by decade’s end, we’ll see fast fashion waste skyrocket to 134 million tonnes annually.
2. The apparel industry’s global emissions Escalation
If the world continues on its current trajectory, unswayed by the environmental ramifications, fast fashion’s carbon emissions could double by 2030, marking a 50% increase.
According to the latest research by Tamene Wagaw and K. Murugesh Babu, the textile industry currently contributes about 8% of the global carbon budget and 20% of industrial water pollution.
3. Consumption Patterns:
U.S. citizens alone contribute an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste every year, which translates to roughly 85% of all textiles. On average, every American discards about 81.5 pounds (or 37 kilograms) of clothing annually. That’s a staggering 2,150 garments being discarded every second across the country.
4. The Decline of Garment Longevity :
Modern consumerism’s throwaway culture has taken a serious toll. A 2017 report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation shed light on a troubling trend: a 36% decline in the lifespan of garments over the past 15 years.
To contextualize the shift, consider the evolution of the ‘Work Dress.’ During the 1960s, many individuals would don the same resilient dress throughout the week, indicative of the period’s limited wardrobes. Now, as a testament to bloated closets and rapidly changing fashion norms, our work outfits vary daily, mirroring a culture infatuated with constant novelty and a heightened sense of individualism.
5. Water, Waste, Woe :
The fashion sector is responsible for a fifth of the world’s wastewater. The dyeing and finishing processes, which bring vibrant colors and unique textures to our fabrics, contribute to 3% of worldwide CO2 emissions and over 20% of global water contamination.
6. The High Cost of Cotton :
A single kilogram of cotton, the staple of many wardrobes, guzzles 20,000 liters of water during its production. For context, crafting one humble t-shirt requires about 2,700 liters of water — enough to quench one person’s thirst for 900 days. Moreover, a typical laundry load uses 50 to 60 liters of water.
7. The Financial Drain of Disuse:
A whopping $500 billion evaporates annually due to the under-utilization and failure to recycle apparel. Despite the vast quantities of clothing discarded each year, a mere 12% of fabric used for apparel sees a second life through recycling. The complexity of our clothing, which can be an amalgamation of natural fibers, synthetic strands, and various fixtures, complicates recycling efforts.
8. Microplastics Menace :
Garments, predominantly those made from polyester and nylon, are a significant source of the microplastics contaminating our oceans. Every wash cycle releases these microscopic pollutants, which eventually flow into our oceans. An estimated half a million tons of these particles — comparable to the pollution from over 50 billion plastic bottles — enter the ocean annually.
9. The Return Problem:
In 2020, the U.S. alone saw 2.6 million tonnes of returned clothing end up in landfills. The rationale? The cost to reintroduce them into the market often outweighs the disposal cost. Furthermore, reverse logistics firm Optoro estimates that 16 million tonnes of CO2 were emitted due to online returns in the U.S. in the same year.
10. Doubling Down on Production:
Fast fashion brands now produce double the number of garments they did in 2000. This escalation in production has exacerbated both pre- and post-production textile waste. Astonishingly, about 15% of fabric intended for garment manufacturing gets discarded. By 2012, 60% of the 150 million garments produced worldwide were disposed of mere years post-production.
With landfills swelling and precious resources wasted, what’s the way forward? The antidote may lie in the burgeoning slow fashion movement: a conscious shift towards producing fewer, but longer-lasting, garments. It’s a call to step back from the relentless churn of fashion cycles, to treasure quality over quantity, and to once again see our attire not just as disposable commodities but as investments in sustainability.
The fashion pendulum must swing back. For the sake of our planet, let’s champion enduring style and bid adieu to the unsustainable allure of the fleeting trends.
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