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Fashion Industry Waste: Unveiling Hidden Costs

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On 08/03/2024

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Did you know that the fashion industry produces over 92 million tons of waste annually? Ever wondered where all this waste comes from and its impact on the environment? This amount is equivalent to about 4% of the world’s total waste production.

fashion industry waste — Photo by Tom Fisk from Pexels

The fashion industry is a major contributor to global waste, generating significant amounts during design and production. While consumers are aware of waste from discarded clothing, less attention is given to the waste generated before a garment even reaches the shelves. Textile waste, including fabric scraps, off-cuts, and unsold garments, is a significant contributor to this waste stream.

Fashion labels typically have two main phases: the design phase and the production phase.

The design phase

In the design phase of the fashion industry, creativity meets reality, but it’s also a stage that generates a surprising amount of waste. Designers often go through numerous sketches and prototypes before finalising a design, leading to discarded paper. Designers may order more materials than needed or use materials that end up not being suitable for the final design, leading to waste.

Errors in the design phase, such as misprints, embroidery mistakes, and sample-making errors, frequently occur and lead to the production of unusable or imperfect garments, further contributing to waste. Pattern making, a crucial aspect of garment production, also contributes to waste generation. Patterns are templates used to cut fabric into specific shapes for garments. These patterns are often laid out on fabric in a way that minimises waste. However, there are still off-cuts and scraps left behind. These scraps may seem small on their own, but when multiplied by the scale of the fashion industry, they can add up to a significant amount of waste.

fabric lay plan — source: Ameliya Jayne Peet

In the process of creating jackets, for example, a lay plan optimises fabric usage. However, even with careful planning, certain areas inevitably waste fabric, as highlighted in red in the lay plan image. For mass manufacturers producing between 500 to 2000 or more jackets per design, this waste multiplies, significantly contributing to the overall waste generated in the fashion industry.

The Production Phase

Another significant source of pre-consumer waste is the production of samples. Before mass-producing a garment, manufacturers typically create a sample to test the design and fit. If the sample is not approved, it is often discarded, leading to waste. In some cases when the sample is approved, there may still be waste generated during the production of the final garment, such as excess fabric trimmings and leftover materials.

Fabric cutting, an essential step in production, can lead to leftover scraps and off-cuts that are too small for use, ultimately discarded and contributing to textile waste. Additionally, poor craftsmanship, lack of technical skills, or mistakes in the finishing process, such as dyeing and embroidery, can lead to sewing errors. These errors lead to the production of garments that fail to meet quality standards, thus adding to waste generation.

In addition to textile waste, the production phase also contributes to waste through packaging materials. Manufacturers often package garments in single-use plastic bags, cardboard boxes, or other packaging materials. These materials can end up in landfills or contribute to ocean pollution if not disposed of properly.

Where does this tons of waste from the fashion industry go each year?

Much of the waste generated in the fashion industry ends up in landfills. The fashion industry often disposes of textile waste, such as fabric scraps, off-cuts, and unsold garments, in landfills. It can take hundreds of years to decompose, releasing harmful greenhouse gases like methane. This contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer and other environmental issues such as water, land, and fossil fuel depletion, waterway and soil pollution, landfill pollution, climate change, and biodiversity threats.pollution, contribution to climate change, and threats to biodiversity.

Waste management is crucial for reducing the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Fashion brands can reduce their waste by using sustainable design practices, technical pattern-making, good craftsmanship, recycling waste, and reducing the use of new materials. Consumers can also play a role by supporting brands that prioritise sustainability and by properly disposing of their clothing.

Brands Taking Steps Towards Sustainability

Many brands are taking steps to reduce their waste and minimise their impact on the environment. Brands like Patagonia and Eileen Fisher are taking steps to reduce their waste, by using recycled materials in their garments and encouraging customers to repair and recycle their clothing through their innovative project.

To address the waste generated during the production phase, many fashion brands like Doodlage, Marsyangde and Ka-Sha are adopting sustainable production methods. This includes using innovative cutting techniques that minimise fabric waste and recycling off-cuts to create new one off designs.

Despite some efforts, the fashion industry disposes of much of its waste in landfills. This highlights the need for sustainable practices in fashion to reduce its environmental impact.

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