According to a report published by Quantis, our cloth and footwear production plays 8.1% of its part in polluting the environment, mainly through greenhouse gases and other harmful impacts. This means that all the fashionistas and textile manufacturers are facing more and more challenges with each passing day to make their practices environment-friendly.
While there are many voicing their concerns and demanding action regarding the negative results of the apparel industry, there is still a need for robust strategies and actualization at not just one but every level. Unless everyone is well-aware of their role in this situation, this cumbersome task of unsustainability will always feel daunting.
Therefore, this article will elaborate on much-needed information to help you learn more about how recycling clothes is a better option.
This will help everyone pave the way toward a better future, even with baby steps.
1. It Helps Stop Animal Cruelty and Effects on Biodiversity:
The clothes that end up in your closet are made of different kinds of material, including polyester, cotton, leather, etc.
Every material has its impact, from using toxic chemicals and dyes to polluting the water and harming biodiversity.
Take, for example, cotton. As much as most of the textile is dependent on this non-food crop worldwide, its production method doesn’t align with environmental sustainability. Which results in loss of natural habitat, excessive use of water, and above all, more and more use of harmful pesticides with each passing day.
The same is the case with the use of leather. Its uncontrolled use means direct animal cruelty.
So, the least you can do on your part is not to toss out every piece that feels like not wearing anymore.
Therefore, recycling clothes can play a vital role in curbing such disastrous effects on other living beings around us.
2. It Can Play a Crucial Role in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions:
Most of the clothes are made of organic materials.
This means that every piece you own will need favorable conditions for aerobic digestion to break down and decompose completely.
However, when garments are disposed of in landfills, where there is no oxygen availability, such materials resort to anaerobic decomposition, letting out greenhouse gases like methane resultantly.
On the other hand, when fewer clothes are dumped, the reduction of the emission of carbon credit increases.
This means that recycling clothes can play a more crucial role than imagined.
3. Can Be Useful In Conserving Water:
According to WorldBank.org, every year, the fashion industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water – enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people.
This simply means that the fashion industry consumes a lot of water to make clothes eventually discarded within one year by most consumers.
So, how can you make a collective effort to bring a sustainable change?
The answer is by recycling clothes.
This, among other steps, will help reduce unrestrained water usage by the textile industry and improve the clothes life twofold at your end.
4. It Lets Overcome High-cost Consumerism and Fast Fashion:
As much as fast fashion seems enticing to most of us, it has its own downside.
The cheap and trendy clothing can catch everyone’s attention, but in reality, its impacts are unsustainable in the long run.
Therefore, a few steps can overcome the costly consumerism and demand for fast fashion.
Moreover, these steps will let you save and be more mindful while purchasing things like dresses, your favorite jewelry pieces, etc., to elevate your fashion with classy accessories.
These simple steps include:
Recycling clothes because the more you repurpose or reuse the clothes, the less you will throw away.
Prioritizing quality over quantity: because it’s the quality that lasts long at the end of the day.
Buy less while practicing minimalism.
You will often see yourself lured by brands chanting to be the landmarks of unique designs and styling to your closet, but it all depends on how you respond.
Final Thoughts:
As much as we, humans, hate to accept it, but it takes time and consistency for things to improve.
The situation with the textile and fashion industry’s harmful impacts is also the same. Not just you, but everyone else will need to put a conscious and regular effort to see better results in the long run.
These steps, like recycling clothes, will ensure a bright future for the generations to come.
Furthermore, hopefully, you will find this article informative, a compelling read, and useful to you.
Lastly, if you have got anything to add or suggest, feel free to drop it in the comments section below.
It will help us bring more valuable content for our keen readers!
Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. He is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
Thank you for such valuable information