wastecolonialism

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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The Land Of Waste

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How the fashion industry dumps the problem into Africa


A land of waste describes the unbelievable amount of discarded clothing that is regularly dumped in Africa.. About three million pieces of clothing every year. Endless layers of textiles form mountains high of fashion waste polluting the land and waters. A terrifying sight that illustrates the destruction the Western world inflicts on nature, known as waste colonialism.

Fast-fashion waste recycling?


People often believe that clothes discarded into the recycling container (the yellow ones here in Italy) are reused. Usually, charities are in charge of these garments. But fast fashion items are of poor quality. So, large quantities can’t be resold and eventually end up in a massive toxic blob in Africa.

Y2K: the overproduction era


Since 2000, global clothing production has doubled, but the quality has steadily decreased. As we’ve already discussed, brands accelerated the overproduction model. At the same time, they promoted overconsumption, kickstarting the toxic cycle.
Brands overproduce up to 40% every season.

Waste shipped to Africa: waste colonialism, the western solution


In West Africa, everyday cargos arrive full of dirty clothes, and most get there in unwearable condition. In Ghana, a dumping ground for textiles, they call them the “dead white man’s clothes.” Moreover, Western garments are so cheap that local manufacturers can’t compete (source ABC.net.au) with their original textiles.

The city of Accra has to find a place to dispose of 160 tons of textile waste every day! Liz Ricketts, a circular economy advocate, has spent about ten years documenting what happens in Ghana.During the monsoon season, the heavy rains drag the textiles into the sea. Then they return to the shore buried in the sand.

In Accra, there’s no room left to throw away clothing.

ABC News: the land of waste


We recommend to watch this video by ABC News:

Video by ABC News


Waste colonialism & the land of waste


If waste is the byproduct of a fashion industry based on an overproduction pattern, consumers play an active part, too. Indeed, they contribute to this environmental disaster with their consumption habits. Perhaps years ago, information was lacking, but now it’s everywhere! Everyone can understand the downside of cheap clothing.

There are people who are underpaid to make cheap clothes and, at the end of the cycle, other people who earn 4 dollars a day collecting fashion waste. Slaves, indeed!

The western world’s solution was to ship the problem to Africa–waste colinialism. But that has resulted in a land of waste, which we are leaving to the coming generations.

Fashion brands are responsible, but so we are if we don’t change our consumption habits.

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