How can circular fashion reduce textile waste and carbon emissions?
The fashion industry is one of the most polluting and wasteful sectors in the world, producing about 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and discarding millions of tons of textiles every year. But there is a way to make fashion more sustainable and less harmful to the environment: circular fashion. Circular fashion is a concept that aims to design, produce, and consume clothing in a way that minimizes waste, maximizes resources, and extends the lifespan of garments. In this article, we will explain what circular fashion is, how it works, and what benefits it can bring to the planet and the people.
Circular fashion is a term that refers to clothing that is designed, made, and used in accordance with the principles of the circular economy. The circular economy is a model that seeks to eliminate waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems. In contrast to the linear economy, which follows a "take-make-dispose" pattern, the circular economy aims to create a closed loop of production and consumption, where nothing is wasted and everything is reused, repaired, or recycled. Circular fashion applies this logic to the fashion industry, by creating clothing that is durable, versatile, and recyclable, and by promoting practices that reduce the environmental and social impacts of fashion.
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I love this! I own a fashion resell company. My tag line, which I send out with every pre-owned item I resell is “Buy Sustainable Fashion - Reduce The Carbon Footprint”. If we all just took small steps to help reduce the carbon emissions in our environment we could make a big impact. Recycling your pre-owned fashion instead of throwing it away, so it doesn’t end up in our landfills, is one mindful small step we can all take.
Circular fashion works by following three main strategies: designing for circularity, extending the use phase, and closing the loop. Designing for circularity means creating clothing that is made from renewable, biodegradable, or recycled materials, that has a timeless style and a high quality, and that can be easily repaired, altered, or separated into components. Extending the use phase means encouraging consumers to wear their clothing for longer, to care for them properly, and to share, swap, or rent them when they are not needed. Closing the loop means ensuring that clothing that is no longer wearable is collected and recycled into new materials or products, or composted if it is biodegradable.
Circular fashion can bring many benefits to the environment, the society, and the economy. By reducing the demand for virgin materials, energy, water, and chemicals, circular fashion can lower the carbon footprint, the water footprint, and the toxic emissions of the fashion industry. By extending the lifespan of clothing, circular fashion can reduce the amount of textile waste that ends up in landfills or incinerators, where it can pollute the soil, the air, and the water. By recycling or composting clothing, circular fashion can create new resources and avoid the depletion of natural resources. By creating more value from existing materials, circular fashion can generate new business opportunities, jobs, and income for the fashion sector and its stakeholders. By offering more choices and opportunities for consumers, circular fashion can foster a culture of creativity, responsibility, and collaboration among the fashion community.
The implementation of circular fashion is not without its challenges, as it requires a systemic change in the way the fashion industry operates and the way consumers behave. A major challenge is the lack of infrastructure and technology to collect, sort, and recycle textiles at scale and quality. Additionally, it is difficult to design clothing that is compatible with different recycling methods and that does not compromise on aesthetics or functionality. Moreover, educating and engaging consumers on the benefits and practices of circular fashion is necessary in order to overcome their habits and preferences for fast fashion and new trends. Finally, aligning the incentives and interests of different actors in the fashion value chain, from designers and manufacturers to retailers and consumers, as well as creating a supportive policy and regulatory environment are necessary for a successful transition to circular fashion.
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A missing aspect in the Circular Economy (CE) philosophy is the reduction of mass production. It suggests that industries can continue to expand and overproduce while simply switching to renewable energy, eliminating waste and toxic chemicals and maintaining and reusing resources within the cycle. The human aspect in the Circular Economy is often overlooked but investment in skills training including sewing and repair is imperative to enable this system-wide change to happen. Tax breaks for repair could be taken up similar to the schemes in Austria (Butler 2022) and Sweden (Orange 2016) in order to provide incentives and enable new repair models to establish themselves.
As a consumer, you can support circular fashion by making more conscious and informed choices about your clothing. To embrace circular fashion in your everyday life, buy quality over quantity and opt for clothing that is made from sustainable materials. Care for your clothing by following the washing and drying instructions, repairing any damages, and storing it properly. Resist the temptation of fast fashion and new trends, and find ways to refresh your wardrobe without buying new pieces. Share, swap, or rent clothing from your friends, family, or online platforms instead of buying new items. When your clothing is no longer wearable, look for collection points, donation centers, or recycling programs to dispose of it responsibly. If it is biodegradable, you can also compost it in your garden or in a community compost bin.
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While rental and resale markets in fashion are beginning to take off, repair as a circular fashion solution is still relatively underdeveloped. 30% of people surveyed were found to have items of clothing in their wardrobes in need of repair with another 20% stating half of their unworn clothes need repairs which if fixed around 166 million garments could be bought back into use (WRAP 2017). Each repaired item of clothing saves around 13.9 kg of carbon emissions (Bevilacqua et al. 2011) but 42% of respondents have discarded clothing because they could not get them repaired (Apparel Insider, 2022). However, there are many places consumers can go to get their clothes repaired such as dry cleaners, local tailors, haberdashers and repair cafes.
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