Waste not, want not.

Waste is what we throw away and what we do not use. But what really happens when we throw things “away”? In a perfect world, fashion would be a more circular industry instead of linear. But new materials are currently very often made from virgin (and irreplaceable) resources instead of making new materials from old ones. Plus, there is no “away” when things are discarded. They end up in the landfill. And in garment manufacturing, it is no different because waste occurs from the textile production and the garment manufacturing phases, up to and through the retail and end-of-life phases – plus approximately one-fifth of manufactured clothing heads to landfill directly because it is deemed unfit somehow. 45 There is significant waste, and it continues all along the supply chain. Fashion Revolution’s Co-Founder Orsola de Castro says, “the lack of transparency in the fashion value chain prevents us from seeing exactly how much waste is created,where this waste is produced and the impact it has on our environment.” 46

Come read the unCover Handbook to find out more.