Journalistic & Editorial Articles
Recycling Fashion FASH 419 Hyewon Jeong
Journalistic
The End of More and the Start of Less as Circulation in Fashion Renewable and sustainable textile technology to close the loop in fast fashion COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Global Fashion Agenda announced the 2020 Commitment on circularity by increasing the collection and resale of used apparel and post-consumer textile fibers at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2017. Ninety-four big global fashion industry players to date (2018), which take up 12.5% of the global fashion market, have committed to circularity and are expected to make sustainable changes in the industry including fast fashion company, such as H&M and ASOS. BY HYEWON JEONG
Fast fashion has drastically shortened the lifespan of clothing by pushing the old ones out with the flood of new styles. Most fast fashion retailers, such as H&M and Forever 21, introduce new merchandise almost every week and intentionally produces “must have” items by allowing young customers to buy a low quality but trendy product. According to Greenpeace 2017, fashion consumption is expected to grow, with sales of clothing projected to rise to $2.1 trillion by 2025. However, one in six Millennials (16%) aged between 1634 say they generally keep their clothes for under two years before throwing them away (YouGov 2017). Circulation in Fashion is expected to become viable via the scaling up of fiber innovator company, such as Re:newcell, Evrnu, Worn Again and Relooping Fashion, which process natural and synthetic fibers mechanically or chemically for reuse in new products. A UK based fiber innovator, Worn Again Technologies, turns used polyester and cotton clothing, along with PET plastic bottles and packaging, back into raw materials for reuse in new products. It is hard to recycle cotton and polyester blended garments, which make up most textiles, however, Worn Again’s innovative chemical recycling process allows turning clothing waste to raw materials by separating and recapturing cotton and polyester from pure and blended clothing waste. Worn Again’s end products are not only comparable in quality but also competitive in price, which can transform the entire textile industry by having natural and synthetic textiles alternatives that cause contamination of the environment. “Essentially what we do is separate polyester and cotton, decontaminate everything, strip out dyes and finishes, and we are able to create or recapture a decontaminated raw material,” Worn Again CEO Cyndi Rhoades said. Worn Again has worked to produce “virgin equivalent outputs.” Turning clothing waste to a virgin product that is all done is environmentally friendly and will close the loop process of wastes. H&M, Zara, and Forever 21 are some of the leading fast fashion companies, however, what exactly does “fast fashion” mean? The term “fast fashion” refers to the rapid turn-over of low-cost garments in the global clothing industry. Even though it is difficult to identify the exact origins of fast fashion, it became more acceptable in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In April
2000, the New York Times wrote how H&M had arrived at the right time as consumers had just recently become more likely to hunt for bargains and dismiss department stores, stating that it was now “chic to pay less.” However, the overabundance of “fast fashion” has resulted in severe environmental and social issues. “From the growth of water-intensive cotton, to the release of untreated dyes into local water sources, to worker’s low wages and poor working conditions, the environmental and social costs involved in textile manufacturing are widespread,” said Christine Ekenga, assistant professor at the Brown School and co-author of the paper “The Global Environmental Injustice of Fast Fashion,” published in the journal Environmental Health. WGSN said, “So often, fashion is bought at the moment, with much less focus on the future, and while the lure of the latest trend is undeniable, the quality of sub-par materials can be just as shortlived.” The fashion industry is a linear production system of “take, make, dispose” and eventually it resulted that 73% of the world’s clothing are landfilled or incinerated. In the United States, more than 15 million tons of textile waste is generated yearly, doubling over the past 20 years, and the total level of fashion waste is expected to be 148 million tons by 2030 (Global Fashion Agenda 2017). According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2017, less than 1% of the material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing, and less than 15% of clothes are collected for recycling. Many industry experts anticipate that this new textile technology has infinite potential to turn the tremendous amount of clothing waste to virgin material. However, consumer behavior is changing as consumers are leaning toward conscious purchasing. Consumers know that low-cost, fast fashion comes from labor exploitation and unsafe working conditions. More than six in ten younger consumers – Gen Z and Millennials- closely consider a company’s ethical values and authenticity before buying their products, according to Accenture Strategy’s Global Consumer Pulse Research, which represents that consumers’ expectations of retailers are changing. Digitally-enabled customers values on transparency and ethical practices of retailers, which shows that consumers will increasingly be looking to buy better, rather than more. The recognition of the environmental and societal impacts of the current apparel industry leads to negative effects on the economy. As consumers are looking for more sustainable options in the market, retailers need to move forward to respond to the need for a customer if they want to retain their customer. A vision for a new textile economy with the new textile technology is aligned with the principles of a circular economy: one that is restorative and regenerative by design and provides benefits for business, society, and the environment. The new vision for a new textile economy with ongoing efforts to make the textile system more sustainable will minimize its negative impacts. This would provide a growing world population with access to high quality, affordable, and individualized clothing, while regenerating natural capital, designing out pollution, and using renewable resources and energy.
In such a new textiles economy, clothes, fabric, and fibers are kept at their highest value during use, and re-enter the economy after use, never ending up as waste. Fiber innovators such as Worn Again and Re:newcell turns the linear fashion industry to circular fashion industry regarding environmental, social and economic perspectives by the technology of processing natural and synthetic fibers mechanically or chemically to reuse in new products. This renewable and sustainable textile technology is becoming a solution to close the negative of overconsumption in fast fashion by increasing the circulation in the fashion industry.
Sources https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/81731/page/3 https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/81937/page/3 https://www.globalfashionagenda.com/commitment/# https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2018/10/facts-statistics-about-fast-fashioninspire-ethical-fashion-advocate/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2019/01/10/worn-againtransforms-old-clothes-into-raw-materials/#74ec71d83c2b https://fashionista.com/2016/06/what-is-fast-fashion https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/the-economics-of-fast-fashion https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/sustainability/fast-fashionenvironmental-injustice-135019/ https://www.thebalancesmb.com/textile-recycling-facts-andfigures-2878122 https://source.wustl.edu/2019/01/how-fast-fashion-hurts-environmentworkers-society/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/annaschaverien/2018/12/12/consumersdo-care-about-retailers-ethics-and-brand-purpose-accenture-research-finds/ https://www.ananas-anam.com/moving-towards-new-textiles-economyellen-macarthur-foundation-2/ https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/6969/fashion-atthe-crossroads/ https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/thought-leadership/sustainable-fastfashion-133309/ https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications/a-new-textileseconomy-redesigning-fashions-future
Editorial
Do you recycle your clothes? Cleaning up the mess of fast fashion by renewable and sustainable textile technology
BY HYEWON JEONG
NEW YORK, United States – Stop buying fast fashion and recycle your clothes. Do you recycle your trash? Then why don’t you recycle your clothes as well? According to YouGov 2017, one in six Millennials (16%) aged between 16-34 say they generally keep their clothes for under two years before throwing them away. Where do you think these clothes end up? Global Fashion Agenda 2017 said 73% of the world’s clothing are landfilled or incinerated. “Fast fashion” became more acceptable in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and nowadays we can see lots of shoppers buying those rapid turnovers of lowcost trendy products at fast fashion retailers, such as H&M, Zara and Forever 21. When H&M had arrived at the United States in April 2000, the New York Times wrote how the retailer came in just in right time to consumers who are looking for bargains but want to be chic by paying less. However, since the fashion industry is such a linear production system of “take, make, dispose” and it is expected that all clothing wastes will be unmanageable if the industry is not willing to make some changes in its production process. Just in the United States, more than 15 million tons of textile waste is generated each year, so experts are anticipating the total of fashion waste to be 148 million tons by 2030. “From the growth of water-intensive cotton, to the release of untreated dyes into local water sources, to worker’s low wages and poor working conditions, the environmental and social costs involved in textile manufacturing are widespread,” said Christine Ekenga, assistant professor at the Brown School and co-author of the paper “The Global Environmental Injustice of Fast Fashion,” published in the journal Environmental Health. In the fashion industry, sustainability has been a hot trend in recent few years and this trend has evolved along with ethical practices in the industry. With the rise of the concept of ‘conscious consumerism,’ consumers have become more aware of low wages and poor working conditions at international factories because consumers know that fast fashion comes from labor exploitation and unsafe working conditions. However, apparel and fashion brands need to realize that the need to make changes if they wanted to retain their customer base. Lyst has reported a 47% increase in shoppers looking for items that have ethical and style credentials with terms such as “vegan leather” and “organic cotton,” which shows that the expectation bar of customers to retailers has raised. Typical fashion trends may pass and fade; however, sustainability will continuously thrive in fashion. Innovative fiber company, such as Re:newcell, Evrnu, Worn Again and Relooping Fashion are companies that will allow the fashion industry to complete the full circle of sustainability. They process natural and synthetic
fibers mechanically or chemically for reuse in new products so that eventually they are producing virgin products made out from end products. One of the pioneers in the new textile technology that is based in the United Kingdom, Worn Again, turns used polyester and cotton clothing along with PET plastic bottles and packaging back into raw materials for reuse in new products. It sounds like magic since the industry has had a hard time to recycle blended garments, which takes up most of the textiles. However, this new innovative chemical recycling process allows turning clothing waste to raw materials by separating and recapturing cotton and polyester from pure and blended clothing waste. Worn Again CEO Cyndi Rhoades said, “Essentially what we do is separate polyester and cotton, decontaminate everything, strip out dyes and finishes, and we are able to create or recapture a decontaminated raw material.” Essentially, what Worn Again is doing is contributing to close the loop of wastes by producing “virgin equivalent outputs” via turning clothing waste to a virgin product with environmentally friendly practices. Its end products are not only comparable in quality but also competitive in price which appeals to younger consumers along with their ‘conscious consumerism’ mindset. As previously mentioned, fast fashion has drastically shortened the lifespan of clothing by quickly shifting the old clothes away. It has been appealed to customers by introducing new items on a weekly basis and creating “must have” trendy items at a lower price. However, retailers are expected to make some changes in their practices as customers are becoming more aware of purchasing decisions with the ‘conscious consumerism.’ The innovative new textile technology company, such as Worn Again, will be a foundation of sustainability in the fashion industry. Sustainability in fashion is not just a trend that will disappear but is a morality that both consumer and retailers need to keep in mind.
Sources https://www.wgsn.com/content/board_viewer/#/81731/page/3 https://www.globalfashionagenda.com/commitment/# https://ecowarriorprincess.net/2018/10/facts-statistics-about-fast-fashioninspire-ethical-fashion-advocate/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2019/01/10/worn-againtransforms-old-clothes-into-raw-materials/#74ec71d83c2b https://fashionista.com/2016/06/what-is-fast-fashion https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/the-economics-of-fast-fashion https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/sustainability/fast-fashionenvironmental-injustice-135019/ https://www.thebalancesmb.com/textile-recycling-facts-andfigures-2878122 https://source.wustl.edu/2019/01/how-fast-fashion-hurts-environmentworkers-society/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/annaschaverien/2018/12/12/consumersdo-care-about-retailers-ethics-and-brand-purpose-accenture-research-finds/ https://www.ananas-anam.com/moving-towards-new-textiles-economyellen-macarthur-foundation-2/ https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/thought-leadership/sustainable-fastfashion-133309/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliviapinnock/2018/11/20/sustainablefashion-searches-surged-in-2018/#3e25ae115fe7 https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/6969/fashion-atthe-crossroads/