Are you 'wearing out' the planet?

Your clothes and the circular economy

- BY JOYCE REYES-AGUILA

Last year, the world discarded enough clothing to fill more than 200 Olympic stadiums.

Let that sink in. That's 120 million metric tons of clothes, according to the Boston Consulting Company. And a thorough review of your closet can help assess if you actually contribute to the problem.

E-commerce and fast fashion (the rapid production of inexpensive, often low-quality clothing) have undoubtedly increased consumer spending and hastened clothing turnover. What sounds like a harmless shirt color requirement for a family reunion or work outing, for example, can easily sway us to grab a new top. We'd rather spend a small amount than dig deep into our closets or borrow from someone at home. After all, we'll only wear the shirt once. Eventually, we'll forget about it and discard it after some time.

What we do not realize is that we have options that can help the world make the much-needed shift toward a circular rather than linear way of utilizing things, according to organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Many of us are used to buying, using, and throwing things. We are now called upon to minimize waste, prolong the use of things, recycle, reuse, and more.