The textile industry needs to implement new business models designed to reduce consumption and waste. Apparel production has doubled since 2000, driven by an increasing middle class and rising consumer demand.
Production in the textile industry has been accelerated by the onset of “fast fashion,” poor environmental regulations in manufacturing countries, and cheap throwaway products.
However, society is waking-up, and brands and manufacturers are under increasing pressure to transform and implement new business models in this resource-intensive industry. Simply put, we must change the way apparel products are made, used and thrown away.
During the next few weeks, I will be sharing a series of blog posts that are based on the circular economy. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy is one that is restorative and regenerative by design.
Recently, the Foundation published a report called A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future. This has provided a blueprint for stakeholders to implement strategies that will generate circular business models that reduce waste.
Consequently, this post is about sharing some insights and statistics that will help build the business case for changing the industry. We must:
- Move away from a LINEAR, take-make-use-throw away approach
- Move towards a CIRCULAR take-make-use-REUSE approach.
Industry Facts
1) According the Ellen MacArthur New Textiles Economy report, the textile industry relies mostly on non-renewable resources. 98 million tonnes in total per year, which includes oil to produce synthetic fibres, fertilisers to grow cotton, and chemicals to produce, dye, and finish fibres and textiles.
2) Textiles production (including cotton farming) uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually. Furthermore, this contributes to problems in some water-scarce regions. (See report above)
3) According to a McKinsey article, the average consumer purchased 60% more items of clothing in 2017 compared to 2000. In addition, they kept each garment half as long.
4) According to the WWF, it takes 2700 liters of water to make 1 cotton shirt.
5) According to the EPA Advancing Sustainable Materials Management fact sheet, more than 10.4 million tonnes of used textile waste was sent to the landfill in 2016.
NGO Campaigns
It is no secret that the apparel and footwear industry is resource intensive and pollutes waterways with hazardous chemicals. As a result, several successful NGO campaigns have brought awareness to the public, which has resulted in some promising changes.
Two successful campaigns that have catalyzed the industry to change, collaborate and align towards the “greater good” include the following:
1) The Greenpeace DeTox campaign. Greenpeace has required brands to make a public commitment to eliminate 11 classes of hazardous chemicals used in apparel and footwear manufacturing by 2020. Furthermore, the campaign also addresses transparency by asking brands to identify and publish a list of their manufacturers.
Due to the campaign, one of the most successful outputs has been the formation of ZDHC, a multi-stakeholder group collaborating towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals. They are making good progress.
2) The Canopy CanopyStyle campaign has provided awareness of ancient forests and endangered species that are being used as a cellulosic source for manmade fibres such as viscose and modal.
Impacts to your business?
Questions to consider:
- Are you aware of the impacts associated with textile production or the production of your product?
- Is the Circular Economy an important part of your sustainability strategy?
For help with any issue associated with sustainability and chemicals, contact Amanda Cattermole at (415) 412 8406 or Amanda@cattermoleconsulting.com. We can help you develop powerful solutions to protect your company and brand reputation, which will result in safer products manufactured in cleaner supply chains.
Tips and Insights contains information to help you make informed chemical management decisions. Each post highlights a particular topic and includes questions you may want to consider for your business.