Fashion organisations that are driven purely by profit are highly unlikely to recycle their clothes. It’s too hard and it’s too costly. And the clothes these companies create are not designed to be recycled – again, because it doesn’t maximise profits.
Even the simplest garments are likely to be made of a blend of several different materials. Natural materials such as cotton and wool are often combined with oil-derived polyester or elastane, so the natural fibres can no longer be reclaimed and re-spun.
There is another disincentive for these companies, and perversely, it is a government-led one. In most countries, businesses are charged inventory tax. That means a levy on all their stock and material. So, it makes financial sense to get rid of unsold stock as quickly as possible.
It’s not just fast fashion brands that are guilty of this behaviour, though. Some luxury brands are too. Rather than discounting their unsold stock, and risking ‘tarnishing’ their luxury reputations, they would rather send their goods to landfill.
Each year, it is estimated that 92 million tonnes of textile waste is created globally. That’s equivalent to a rubbish truck full of clothes being dumped every second. If we carry on at the rate we are currently going, that figure will reach 134 million tonnes every year.
We can all do our bit to combat this. It’s simple. We need to turn our backs on fast fashion, embrace slow style and make use of the natural materials available to us.
