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“Most Americans throw away 70 pounds of clothing and textiles every year, but almost 95% of that could be recovered by recycling” [1]. Nevertheless, only a small fraction actually makes it to the recycling phase. Fashion has had a linear life cycle for decades: a brand sells garments, users wear it for a period of time, and, when it loses its charm or is worn out, they throw it away. But is there something we can do to prevent so many clothes from going to waste?
For the longest time, natural cycles—such as the water or carbon cycle—have been using other cycles’ waste as resources. Our society, however, doesn’t follow nature’s suit. Almost every product, once it has served its purpose, is thrown away. This is detrimental to the environment because landfills and incineration of waste generate harmful chemicals that are released into the atmosphere.
In order to take advantage of products that are at the end of their lifecycle, so to speak, we need to focus on creating a circular economy. “Reuse what you can, recycle what cannot be reused, repair what is broken, remanufacture what cannot be repaired” [2]. The objective of the circular fashion economy is to turn the historic line into a circle—to not let the cycle end in the landfill. We may think a piece has exhausted its use, but many clothing items can have a different purpose beyond what we think could happen.
There are four simple things one can do to support circular fashion: repurpose, repair, donate, and recycle. First, we have repurposing. This means taking a garment and giving it new meaning. One popular way of doing this is through upcycling, which turns a piece that otherwise might go to waste into something that you can use. For example, if your jeans are fraying at the bottom or if the rips have become too messy, you can turn those well-worn jeans into an amazing pair of denim shorts!
Repairing is also important. By mending your clothing, you keep your favorite pieces for longer, slowing down your consumption of new clothes. Don’t be afraid to stitch that little hole on your favorite jacket.
Another thing you can do is donate. If your clothes do not fit anymore or they are not your style, you can donate them to someone who can give them a better use. Find your local shelter or donation center and help give your garments a chance to be loved again while preventing them from ending up in landfills.
Finally, recycle. Only 1% of clothes end up being recycled into new clothes [3]. Not only does this represent losses as high as $100 billion annually [4], but it also takes a huge toll on the environment. Pieces made from high-quality single fibers, especially natural fibers, are the easiest to recycle [5], but it is important to also find ways to recycle garments made from other materials since they take longer to decompose.
Remember: these are ways to close the loop and help reduce waste, but also consider not starting the loop if there is no need. Only buy what you need, since most people have pieces they own but do not wear. And try to shop secondhand, there are so many gems out there if you’re just willing to look.
