The Role of Zero Waste Design in Tackling the Global Textile Waste Crisis
Approximately 10 million tons of textiles from around the world are sent to landfills every year, as reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2015. This is equivalent to one garbage truck full of clothes that ends up in landfill every second. Textile waste not only includes clothing that people no longer wear, but also unsold old clothes from clothing brands, and textile production waste such as fabric scraps, leftover dyes, chemicals, and packaging materials.
When it comes to fabric waste, which comes from the cutting, sewing, and trimming processes during garment production, only 12% of the material used for clothing is recycled. The rest is typically deemed unusable and discarded as offcuts that end up in landfills. Furthermore, the packaging of textile products throughout the process of raw material to end product shipment, whether it comes from manufacturers or individual consumers shopping activities, such as plastic bags, boxes, and wrapping materials, contribute to the overall waste generated by the industry.
When textile waste does not end up in landfills, it usually ends up being incinerated. The problem is that textile waste is a combination of fibers, fixtures, and accessories made from problematic blends of natural yarns, man-made filaments, plastics, and metals. When burned, they release greenhouse gasses and methane into the air, as well as dioxins and furans, which can have adverse effects on human health and the environment. However, when left to decompose in landfills, textile waste can lead to soil and groundwater contamination due to the leaching of harmful chemicals.
Textile waste often ends up in developing countries due to global textile trade and consumption patterns. Some of the fashion waste that is still wearable is sent to these countries to be sold as second-hand clothing or simply as donations. For example, in Accra, the capital of Ghana, 15 million used garments pour into the city every week from the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia, flooding the city’s used clothing market, Kantamanto. However, 40% of these shipments are of such poor quality that they are deemed worthless on arrival and end up dumped in landfills. Unfortunately, many developing countries lack the infrastructure and resources to manage this waste properly, resulting in green and uninhabited areas being turned into landfills.
The Importance of Zero Waste Design in Sustainable Fashion
Textile waste is notoriously difficult to recycle. For example, take old, unused, or unsold clothes. In just one simple 100% cotton t-shirt, we can find many components, such as labels and sewing threads, which are usually made from other materials like polyester. Another example is a pair of cotton jeans that generally contains other components, such as metal zips and buttons. Moreover, many garments today contain three or more fibers and, thanks to the rise of athleisure and skinny jeans, often include elastane, a stretchy petroleum-based fiber that is hard to separate.
With this problem on the rise, textile and garment manufacturers need to adapt their approach to production, not only in quantity but also in the product itself. A sustainable and easily recyclable end product is possible to achieve with zero waste design. Zero waste design aims to eliminate waste from the production process by utilizing all fabric and materials, ensuring that there is no excess material left over after production.
Zero waste designs can be achieved by carefully planning design patterns and utilizing every inch of fabric, creating clothing patterns that fit together like a puzzle. In practice, a designer can achieve this by draping technique as well as flat pattern cutting. Geometric shape manipulation also allows fashion designers to optimize the use of fabric for a zero waste fashion design approach.
However, even with zero waste design, some leftover fabric scraps are unavoidable. To prevent these scraps from ending up in landfills or being incinerated, manufacturers can repurpose them to create secondary products such as bags, scrunchies, accessories, patchwork tops, or throw pillows that can be stuffed with small scraps. Repurposing leftover fabric scraps is a simple yet effective way to reduce waste and also create new products to sell for garment manufacturers..
Unfortunately, zero waste designs are not without drawbacks. Traditional pattern-making processes and techniques will not necessarily work for zero waste designs. However, even if designs might be limited without various components and types of fabrics, manufacturers can have more efficient productions with a zero waste design approach. Garment manufacturers can save resources by ordering fewer fabrics to produce the same number of garments, reducing the risk of over-ordering and overproduction.