How does fast fashion deal with textile waste?

THE world's fashion industry only emits a large amount of carbon dioxide emissions but also produces an increasingly unmanageable heap of textile waste.

- MD. TAHMID ZAMI

Waste textile fibres, scraps and cutout parts - amounting to more than 92 million tonnes a year - pose a global challenge as textile production has doubled in the last two decades.

Waste could be turned into material for new clothes to curb the use of resources and to protect the environment, but the world’s recycling capacity is lagging behind.

Why is recycling clothing waste important?

Much of the world's textile waste is managed poorly.

An estimated 61% is buried in landfills or incinerated, harming the environment and human health, according to a 2024 report by Amsterdam-based think tank Circle Economy.

Scientific estimates suggest more than half of textile waste is made from fossil fuel-based synthetic fibres like polyester that never decompose and leave a trail of microplastics - ruining the soil.

Other quick fixes like burning waste to generate energy pollute the air with particles and greenhouse gases.

While landfill and incineration harm the environment, recycling can recover value from waste while curbing the industry's environmental footprint.

How much waste is being recycled?