The landscape of textile waste and its impact on the environment has undergone rigorous scrutiny, with a comprehensive study shedding light on the profound sustainability benefits of textile reuse, when compared to new clothing production. This study, commissioned by the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC), has underscored the staggering disparity, indicating that reusing textiles slashes the environmental footprint by a remarkable 70 times. The research delved into the entire life cycle of textiles, factoring in transport and export emissions, revealing compelling data on CO2 and water savings attributed to textile reuse.
According to the study, each high/medium-quality clothing item that undergoes reuse contributes to a substantial conservation effort, saving a considerable three kilograms of CO2 emissions. Remarkably, the water usage for reuse purposes represents a mere 0.01 per cent of what is typically required in the production of new clothing. The findings not only validate, but amplify the waste hierarchy principle, demonstrating that prioritising reuse over recycling significantly minimises the environmental impact, especially concerning high/medium-quality clothing items.
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Mariska Boer, President of EuRIC Textiles, emphasised the alarming trend of nearly 62 per cent of used clothing and textiles ending up in household waste, leading to potential incineration or landfill disposal. Boer highlights the European textile reuse and recycling industry's vision for a circular textile value chain, advocating for optimal reuse and recycling of every piece of clothing to curb wastage and environmental harm.
The study extends its recommendations to policymakers, stressing the urgent need for strategic investments in state-of-the-art textile recycling facilities worldwide. It emphasises the pivotal role of innovation in fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies, critical in maintaining textile fibres within the loop, especially with projections indicating a surge in non-reusable clothing volumes. Moreover, the study champions the implementation of eco-design criteria to prolong clothing lifespans, alongside stringent rules mandating detailed sorting of high/medium-quality and low-quality textiles.
Image used for representational purposes only.
Globally, it is estimated that 92 million tonnes of textile waste is generated per year and a whopping 134 million tonnes is expected to be generated per year by the end of 2030 according to a Kerr and Landry report from 2017. While textile waste remains a pressing issue across the globe, it is often developing nations where such waste is dumped that face the hardest repercussions of the fashion problem. According to Greenpeace, African countries receive approximately 150–200 tonnes of textile waste daily, and due to the synthetic nature of up to 69 per cent of clothing fibres, predominantly polyester, these garments are oil-derived and non-biodegradable.