waste

Fashion Waste Visible From Space

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Atacama Desert: fast fashion’s disaster view via satellite


Fashion waste is now visible from space. Indeed SkyFi, an American startup that provides high-resolution satellite photos and recordings, has confirmed a giant pile of clothes in the Atacama Desert, Chile. And so, it happens that a piece of news released in 2021 is brought back, highlighting human inactivity and carelessness towards the waste we put out.

The Atacama Desert and the cost of fast fashion


The Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world, is in Chile. Now it is an island of discarded clothing, including Christmas sweaters and ski boots, piling up in the desert. Indeed, Chile is a hub for secondhand and unsold clothing ending up there from all over the world. USA, Europe and Asia. Approximately 59,000 tons of garments arrive there every year. Clothing merchants buy part of it, but the majority, about 39,000 tons, end up in rubbish dumps in the desert. 
You can read our exploration here.

This is via the SkyFi website:
“The satellite image that we ordered of the clothes pile in Chile’s Atacama Desert really puts things into perspective. The size of the pile and the pollution it’s causing are visible from space, making it clear that there is a need for change in the fashion industry. Our mission to make Earth observation data easy and transparent is vital to identifying and addressing problems like this one.” 

Fashion industry vs change


On the one hand, it’s good to have another viewpoint on what is going on with fashion waste. That perspective about the earth from a distant observation is appalling. On the other, almost two years have gone by since the first news release, but nothing has changed over time. So, were we waiting for a satellite view to make a change?

The fashion industry, a capitalistic system based on the exploitation of people and the planet, has a huge responsibility. However, despite the giant pile of clothes being confirmed, CEOs will not change. The fashion system will not change. But people have the power in their brains and wallet.

Today is World Environment Day, and the big news is that fashion waste is visible from space! Are we waiting for a satellite view from Mars to start moving a finger? Or is it time to educate ourselves and have an independent thought?

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Fashion Waste Recycling

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An urgent issue every fashion designer must confront


March 18th was Global Recycling Day, highlighting the challenge of waste recycling, which is deeply connected to the fashion industry. As a matter of fact, recycling is crucial for a circular economy and circular fashion too.

These international days aim to raise awareness on important matters. Unfortunately, we celebrate something but tend to forget the issue the day after.

Fashion industry & waste


As widely highlighted in our previous posts, the fashion industry is part of the waste problem. According to Earth.org, of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tons end up in landfills. To give a prompt idea, this means that the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up in landfill sites every second.

Waste colonialism


Waste is a global issue. In fact, that is the byproduct of our economic system–capitalism. A structure based on overproduction and exploitation. However, the civilized global North has found a way to avoid facing it. We don’t want to see our garbage. And when confronted with problems, we prefer to ignore it.
So, how does the global north get rid of waste? By dumping the problem in the global south. In case you missed the news, please, read what happens in the Atacama desert in Chile. Or in Ghana, Africa.
As we can see, Northern countries, the rich and civilised ones, continue to perpetuate colonialism. Specifically, waste colonialism.

Recycling waste


“Global Recycling Foundation” promotes the idea of considering waste as an opportunity:

“Every year, the Earth yields billions of tons of natural resources and at some point, in the not too distant future, it will run out.
That’s why we must think again about what we throw away – seeing not waste, but opportunity.”

Waste recycling in fashion industry


First, in order to reduce waste, we need to consume less, much less! But also, we must find solutions for the tons of discarded clothing already shipped to Africa and Chile.

Most importantly, we expect every fashion designer and every company to do their bit and hold themselves accountable. Recycling and upcycling must become part of the plan for the fashion industry. Now.

There’s no time to waste!

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Earth Day?

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Mass marketing, hashtags and behaviour


On April 22, while everyone proudly shared the hashtag Earth Day, the news said that in Europe, six million tons of garments end up in landfills every year. Yes, it’s not a good moment to read newspapers because whatever the field, humans are not shining for responsible behaviour.

Even if we feel very sad about that news, we are not surprised. Indeed one of our latest posts was about the lack of coherence in our society. And scrolling through our blog, you’ll find many other posts on this topic. On the one hand, people claim to care about sustainability, yet on the other, they buy fast fashion or any other cheap product. The habit is ‘consume and throw away’ quickly.

In general, sustainability sells, and if it’s greenwashing, it sells even more!

Earth Day & the culture of waste


This matter has to do with the ‘buy and toss’ culture launched, promoted and pushed by corporations. They did it intentionally by using persuasion and with the help of marketing. Yes, marketing can do magic! Furthermore, knowing they could count not only on the weakness of individuals but also on people who don’t read and don’t think at all.

This is the modern way of purchasing clothing which is also done via Instagram or TikTok. The cheapest ones are the most successful. “It’s cheap, I buy it, I’ll wear it once and throw it away!”
What if they will not wear it? They won’t feel guilty getting rid of it because it’s cheap. In fact, there are garments still with the price tag in landfills!

That is toxic behaviour that speakes volumes about the decadence of European culture. Our parents and grandparents used to buy a few quality clothes that lasted a lifetime, got repaired and passed on to the other family members. Now, people buy very cheap products made to auto destroy in the shortest time possible. And which, unfortunately, don’t disappear but instead compromise our environment.

If we do not refocus our culture, if we are not open to change, and put some effort into shifting our consumption habits, it’s better to avoid the hashtag to celebrate Earth Day.

Hashtags work for marketing but will not save the earth. Our actions will.

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Design Against Waste

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Innovative solutions for a sustainable future


Waste is a major issue in our culture–perhaps one of the biggest. It is undoubtedly a side effect of our lifestyle. Waste is the ignorant byproduct of our times, meaning the etymological non-understanding of what we leave behind.

In other words, it represents a blind and egoistic short-term vision. People simply don’t care. Their children will live in an open-air landfill, but that’s not their concern.

However, the problem is real, devastating, and we cannot ignore it anymore. There’s no way to sweep waste under the carpet or make it magically disappear.

Acknowledging the problem and the environmental cost it carries along, is the first step. But what is the solution?

Design is the answer.
An accurate design is at the core of solving the waste issue. Changing the way we conceive products is absolutely crucial. We need intentionally designed items in every single field and category–fashion, furniture, technology, and beyond.
Products made with eco, recycled materials taht can have multiple lives and eventually enter a circular pattern.
Items made to last. In other words, design against waste.

By the way, this was the standard in the past in terms of lifetime. Products were built to endure. Now, the life of a garment barely exceeds a couple of washes, and a mobile phone lasts less than a year.
Moreover, convenience culture played a significant role in exacerbating wasteful habits and proliferating a throwaway mentality. Buying a new item is cheaper than repairing it. So people throw things away and replace them—even if the new item lasts only a few months. And so, the never-ending cycle continues.

The point is that real designers make good designs. But fashion–like any other industry–is in the hands of people who are more attracted to marketing than design. So It’s unlikely that change will emerge from within the current system.

Unless a new generation of designers, aware of the issue and moved by it, steps forward to make a difference–to change for the better.
We remain optimistic!

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Waste, And Why We Waste

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Understanding the impact of overconsumption and the quest for sustainability


“Waste isn’t waste until we waste it.”

Will I Am


This quote deeply resonates with us, not only because of the heightened awareness recent events have brought. But also because we have always been committed to reducing waste as much as possible.
Writing on the backside of printed sheets, avoiding plastic coffee cups, refilling our water bottles, and limiting the quantity of paper used for packaging are just a few of the steps we’ve taken to minimize the waste we produce. Perhaps now, we approach this issue with even more urgency, as the environmental damage we’ve caused is becoming increasingly visible.

The waste culture


But, digging deeper, where does our wastefulness come from? When did we start wasting so much?

Waste is the ignorant byproduct of an over-consumerist society. From the 1950s, little by little, overconsumption has been promoted as an ideal lifestyle, infiltrating our habits and shaping our culture—while completely disregarding the consequences. “Consume like there’s no tomorrow” is the motto. And, if we go on like this, there will be no tomorrow!

The fact that masses can be easily manipulated is quite scary. The fact that offered a sense of comfort, we avoid thinking altogether, is even more troubling.

By the way, along our journey, we’ve come to acknowledge our mistakes. With open eyes, we are committed to changing for the better.

Whether fashion waste or any other kind, consciousness manifets on many levels and layers.
First and foremost, stop wasting food! Then, whenever you grow tired of something, explore other options before throwing it away.

Even in the case of fashion, please don’t throw away clothes you don’t want anymore.


There are ways to reduce fashion waste:

. choose quality, it lasts longer.
. wash in lower temperatures, so clothes will not get damaged.
. repair when possible.
. donate to charity.
. some shops collect items to recycle.
. resell if you want, there are many resell platforms.

We have options available, so how much waste is up to us.

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