Clothing Waste

Fashion is quite a topic to talk about. I’m sure many of those who are reading this enjoy new styles of clothing and shoes. However, you have probably come across a time when your favorite shirt became too small to wear. So, you think of what to do. Do you donate it? Recycle it? Or do you trash it? What even happens to the ones that never get sold in the first place?

Clothes eventually end up in landfills or end up being burned. In fact, around 85% of our clothes end up being wasted. In the United States, it is estimated that around 80 pounds of clothes are thrown away each year. That is excluding every other country. So, what is the main cause of this issue?

The answer is manufacturers and clothing retailers. Manufacturers end up overproducing the supply of clothing, which also overstocks the retailers. As seasons change, unsold and extra clothes are thrown away to landfills. This is because these clothes were not made for other seasons. Even if manufacturers, clothing retailers, and we try to recycle the unwanted clothes, it is important to acknowledge that more than half of the clothes we own are not recyclable. This is largely due to the fact that many of our clothes are made with plastic fibers. These plastic fibers are almost impossible to reuse, contributing much to the pollution.

So, the question still remains. Why are manufacturers and clothing retailers using these non-recyclable materials and overproducing them? They are in control of what comes out of the factory. Yet, they are still using these plastic materials, when there are recyclable ones. It is time for them to act up and as consumers, we should spread awareness to this major issue. 

https://calpirg.org/blogs/blog/cap/fashion-industry-waste-drastically-contributing-climate-change#:~:text=85%25%20Of%20Our%20Clothes%20End%20Up%20In%20Landfills%20Or%20Burned&text=Furthermore%2C%20it%20is%20estimated%20that,11%2Dyear%2Dold%20child!