Textile waste is a global problem that most people don’t consider when decluttering their wardrobes. New trends in the fashion world are emerging by the day and our throwaway culture, driven by the belief that certain items are old fashioned, is increasing the amount of waste in landfills.
Fast fashion thrives with the new generation. Population growth and improved living standards continue to increase the demand for textile materials, decreasing the sustainable practice of buying from secondhand shops.
Globalization has led the apparel industry to produce more textile materials at lower prices. The fast fashion trend has been adopted by fashion enthusiasts who consider clothing a disposable item.1
The throwaway culture generates more textile waste than ever before. In 2017, it was estimated that about 85% of all textiles discarded in the United States, approximately 13 million tons were either dumped in landfills or burned.2
The statistics show that the average American disposes of at least 85 pounds (37 kilograms) of clothes yearly. This contributes to global textile waste, estimated at 92 million tons generated each year. Future predictions estimate over 134 million tons of textile waste by 2030.2
Textile recycling is the only solution to attempt to reduce waste generation from the fast fashion trend. It takes old and worn-out clothing out of landfills to prevent pollution from synthetic fibres.
Recycling is ideal for waste reduction. Prioritizing the process is beneficial to the environment by reducing chemical contamination from bleaches and dyes used on textiles.
The Importance of Textile Recycling
In 2017, clothing and textiles contributed to about 6% of the world’s exports of manufactured goods. The People’s Republic of China and the European Union are the leading exporters of textiles and clothing.
The last few decades have seen a rise in the production of textile fibres. In 1975, global production of textile fibres was about 23.9 million metric tons. It increased in the following decades, reaching 98.5 million metric tons in 2017 and about 111 million metric tons by 2019.3
An increase in production means more textile waste generation. It’s currently estimated at 92 million tons, with more expected to be dumped in landfills in the coming years.
The average American, with a throwaway attitude, dumps about 81 pounds (37 kilograms) of textiles each year. The stats on recycling are quite low—with only 2.5 tons recycled.
The fashion industry has come under scrutiny due to its environmentally polluting supply chain operation. The textile and fashion value chain focuses on resource consumption and chemical use that pollutes the environment and generates textile waste.4
The fashion industry contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and its excessive usage of resources to maintain production also has environmental consequences. The new trend involves finding options to entice consumers to purchase products that suit their fashion sense.
Profit and quantity are prioritized over quality and sustainability. The fashion industry is guilty of producing cheap clothing made so quickly that it’s always in stock. These items are poorly manufactured with unsustainable components and do not guarantee long-term use.
The fashion world compounds the problem of excessive consumption. Elizabeth Wilson describes it as a “dress in which the key feature is rapid and continual changes of style”.5
Fashion marketers understand the passion of consumers. They entice customers to buy something new to complement every season or celebration. Their offers are new and enticing, which is hard to resist.
But in reality, the merchandise is just a twist of the previous year’s successful selling styles that consumers are so passionate about spending their money on. It’s a marketing strategy that works so well that consumers are willing to fill their closets with new clothing.
It’s estimated that consumers buy approximately 60% more clothes now than they did over a decade ago. Regardless of their choice to buy more clothes these days, the purchased items only last for half as long.
Learn more: Sustainable Ways to Get Rid of Your Clothes
Environmental Effect of Fast Fashion
Fast fashion accounts for about 10% of all global carbon emissions. This shows that fast fashion emits more carbon into the atmosphere than international flight and shipping combined.
Fast fashion is a simple term that describes the readily available, cheaply, and quickly made fashion in the world today. The term “fast” highlights how quickly fashion retailers can make designs and apparel to meet the growing demand.6
The quick distribution of cheaply manufactured clothing at lower prices impacts the environment. Fast fashion has surged globally, with about 80 billion pieces of new clothing purchased by consumers each year.
The People’s Republic of China and the European Union are the leading exporters of textiles and clothing. Most new pieces are assembled in Bangladesh and China, with the United States consuming more clothing and textiles than any other country worldwide.
The fashion industry remains one of the biggest global polluters, consuming large amounts of fuel and chemicals. There is also an issue of excessive use of resource use for bleaching, dyeing and washing.7
The continuous fabric dyeing and chemical use contaminates the environment. The presence of vat dyes, sulphur, naphthol, nitrate, acetate acid and other chemicals combined makes textile effluent highly toxic.
It’s said that dying fabric accounts for approximately 20% of water pollution. Noxious chemicals present in water may include chlorinated stain removers, formaldehyde-based toxic agents, hydrocarbon-based softeners, and non-biologically degradable toxic chemicals.8
Textile Recycling and How It Works
Firstly, there are other sustainable options to get rid of old or worn-out clothes. You can try donating to charity or hosting a clothing swap event. Donation centres will appreciate you giving out neatly washed clothes to those in need.
Upcycling is also another sustainable idea to reduce textile waste in the best way possible. However, if recycling is your only option, here is how it works.
How Textile Recycling Works
It starts with textile collection to carefully get the materials sorted before they are recycled. It’s a different process depending on if the material is post-consumer or pre-consumer textiles.
Post-consumer Collection
This refers to clothes donated by individuals who recently decluttered their wardrobe. The majority of post-consumer clothing is placed in clothing drivers or public donation bins. Certain companies provide public donation bins to make collection easy.
Other businesses involved in collecting old clothes from individuals also provide donation boxes or mail-in services. They make these collection items available to enable individuals to ship their old clothes to designated processing facilities.9
Pre-consumer Collection
Pre-consumer collection solely focuses on taking fabric scraps from manufacturers or post-industrial scrap textiles from health facilities and even hotels.
Companies like I:CO, which stands for “I Collect” and Evrnu collaborate with fashion brands to help them get rid of unused textiles. Evnru and “I Collect” partnering with brands is a good effort to reduce pre-consumer textile waste.
Sorting Textiles
Sorting material types is the next process after the collection of old garments. Not every fabric thrown into a collection bin is recycled, as some can be in good condition and perfect for reselling as secondhand.
This process takes out wearable clothes and separates garments for recycling by colours and material. Garments made of natural materials are shredded into fibres that are then cleaned and realigned in a carding process, after which they will respun into yarn.
Different types of yarns are blended to make a durable fibre based on the intended purpose of recycling.
Mechanical Textile Recycling Technologies
Mechanical recycling is a highly efficient textile recycling method. It can be divided into two separate mechanisms.
The first mechanical recycling mechanism involves cutting, shredding, and carding textiles. The shredded fibres are cut precisely shorter than virgin fibres, which results in reduced quality and weaker yarns.10
The recycled fibres can be made into yarns that are used in woven or knitted fabrics. The yarns can also be used directly in non-woven materials, while the resulting products from shredding can be utilized to make fillings for insulation, industry, and building construction materials.
The second method is thermo-mechanical technologies which is an effective method for textile recycling of thermoplastic materials like polyester and nylon. The process involves shredding the waste material, heating, agitation, and filtration to break down the fibres.
Impurities are removed, resulting in a high-quality recycled material that can used in various applications.
Sustainable Alternatives to Consider If Textile Recycling is Impossible
Textile recycling is a sustainable practice designed to reduce global waste and promote environmental sustainability. While recycling is great, there are other methods you can employ to declutter your wardrobe.
1. Reselling
Reselling your textiles still in good condition is a better way to get rid of them sustainably than throwing them into dumpsters. Secondhand and thrift stores will accept your old clothes and find people to use them before they are sent to a recycling centre. Various online resellers like eBay and Poshmark are also places to resell your old clothes.
2. Brand Take-Back Program
Top clothing brands have take-back programs that allow customers to return their used textiles for recycling or resale. Nike and Patagonia offer this opportunity to customers.
3. Donation
Donating is another way to sustainably reduce textile waste. Several non-profit organization use their textile donation programs to collect textiles to resell at their secondhand stores. Organizations that support homeless people are also willing to accept your old textile. Whether it’s an old towel, blanket, or clothes to keep warm in winter months, nothing goes unappreciated.
Check with any charity to find out if they need to reuse or resell your old textiles before they are sent to a recycling facility.
4. Doing Your Textile Recycling
Get involved by making textile recycling your responsibility.
Search for Drop-off bins
Search for recycling drop-off spots in your locality. Use Earth911 to find the nearest spot where you can take your used textiles. Additionally, Green Tree Textile Recycling, a non-profit organization determined to reduce post-consumer textiles, has bin and drop-off locations positioned strategically across New York and New Jersey. According to the non-profit organization, their bins accept a wide range of textiles from clothing, shoes, linens, and more.
Private Companies
Various private companies will collect used textile waste for a fee. Research these companies to understand their charges and ensure their recycling methods meet the necessary standards.
Conclusion
Fast fashion has surged in the last few decades, resulting in more textile waste being sent to landfills. Profit and quantity are prioritized over quality and sustainability. The quick distribution of cheaply manufactured clothing is harming the environment with an estimated 92 million tons generated each year. Textile recycling is a solution to minimize global textile waste, and adopting sustainable practices is essential to get rid of used textiles responsibly.
Sources
- Juanga-Labayen, J. P., Labayen, I. V., & Yuan, Q. (2022). A review on textile recycling practices and challenges. Textiles, 2(1), 174–188. ↩︎
- Beall, A. (2022, February 24). Why clothes are so hard to recycle. ↩︎
- Juanga-Labayen, J. P., Labayen, I. V., & Yuan, Q. (2022). A review on textile recycling practices and challenges. Textiles, 2(1), 174–188. ↩︎
- Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020). The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews. Earth & Environment, 1(4), 189–200. ↩︎
- Economic Impact of Textile Recycling ↩︎
- Bick, R., Halsey, E., & Ekenga, C. C. (2018). The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environmental Health, 17(1). ↩︎
- Lellis, B., Fávaro-Polonio, C. Z., Pamphile, J. A., & Polonio, J. C. (2019). Effects of textile dyes on health and the environment and bioremediation potential of living organisms. Biotechnology Research & Innovation, 3(2), 275–290. ↩︎
- Singha, K., Pandit, P., Maity, S., & Sharma, S. R. (2021). Harmful environmental effects for textile chemical dyeing practice. In Elsevier eBooks (pp. 153–164). ↩︎
- Stanton, A. (2024, June 20). How does textile recycling work? – The good trade. The Good Trade. ↩︎
- Abrishami, S, Shirali, A, Sharples, N, Kartal, GE, Macintyre, L & Doustdar, O 2024, ‘Textile Recycling and Recovery: An Eco-friendly Perspective on Textile and Garment Industries Challenges‘, Textile Research Journal, pp. 1-20. ↩︎