Composting old garments: A revolutionary approach to waste management?
In the ever-evolving world of fashion, a pressing concern is the environmental impact of the industry. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, only about 15% of clothing gets recycled, leaving a staggering 84% of the 150 billion new garments made each year ending up in landfills.
One solution to this problem lies in government regulations and composting schemes. These initiatives can significantly increase recycling and composting of clothing waste in the fashion industry.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, for instance, shift the accountability for managing textile waste to producers and importers, requiring them to finance or organize collection and recycling efforts. This, in turn, increases the volume of post-consumer textiles entering recycling streams.
Governments can also mandate that companies design clothes to be easier to recycle or require a minimum recycled content, promoting circularity and reducing waste. Public media campaigns and take-back programs, supported by government and NGOs, raise consumer awareness and participation in textile recycling programs.
Composting schemes, especially for natural fiber textiles like cotton or wool, can divert biodegradable materials from landfills, closing the loop on organic waste cycles. However, composting of blended and synthetic textiles is more challenging and may require technological innovation. Chemical recycling technologies enable higher-quality fiber recovery from blended textiles, supporting closed-loop recycling systems. Government funding and regulations can accelerate adoption of such advanced recycling technologies.
Regulatory examples include the new Chilean law making producers responsible for recycling their clothing products, helping to avoid illegal dumping and reduce textile waste accumulation in the environment. These regulations and programs effectively create economic and operational incentives for fashion companies to improve recycling rates and to integrate sustainable materials and practices into their supply chains.
Fast fashion retailers like H&M and Zara have already set up collecting schemes for old clothes to be recycled. Innovative companies like Sustain, founded by Katherine Quigley, use natural dyes and work with manufacturers that accept sewing with cotton thread. Katie Lopes, founder of the lingerie brand Stripe & Stare, has even ventured into producing compostable underwear.
However, the challenge of making sure textiles are entirely bio-degradable makes it difficult for compostable clothes to become widespread. Most composting facilities do not accept textile waste due to the challenge of ensuring the textiles are entirely bio-degradable.
Quigley advocates for companies to be responsible for the full life cycle of their clothing, including the end-life cleanup costs. She suggests that we need to move away from the idea that clothing is disposable. The challenge, according to Foulkes-Arellano, who studies textile disposal systems in Europe, is that it's wishful thinking for compostable clothes to become more widespread without such schemes and regulations.
In conclusion, government-level policies establish a structured, enforceable framework that motivates the fashion industry to increase recycling and composting of clothing waste, support technological advancement in recycling processes, and engage consumers to participate in sustainable disposal methods. It's a call for change that the fashion industry cannot ignore.
- Embracing sustainable living and eco-friendly practices, innovative companies in the fashion industry, like Sustain and Stripe & Stare, are working to design clothes using natural dyes, sustainable materials, and collaborating with manufacturers that accept sewing with cotton thread.
- The environmental-science community agrees that the fashion industry is facing a pressing issue with climate-change, as only about 15% of clothing is recycled, leaving the majority ending up in landfills.
- To combat this problem, regulatory measures, such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, mandate producers and importers to finance or organize collection and recycling efforts, resulting in increased volumes of post-consumer textiles entering recycling streams.
- Governments can also support the development and adoption of advanced recycling technologies, such as chemical recycling, to enable higher-quality fiber recovery from blended textiles, aiming to establish closed-loop recycling systems.
