My first experience at an H&M store remains a vivid memory. It was a bustling day at a shopping center in the heart of Ljubljana, Slovenia, nearly two decades ago.
I was fresh out of high school, carrying my Motorola RAZR phone. After more than a decade of wearing a uniform, including the standard itchy polyester/cotton plaid pleated skirt and white blouse combo, I was ready to step into my own style, Stefanie Valentic from Waster 360 writes.
The chattering of shoppers as they excitedly shuffled through the racks, discussing what they should purchase, hummed in the background as I indulged in what I considered high-quality European fashion. From basic t-shirts in a dozen colors to dresses for every occasion, the merchandise around me felt like an overly ambitious restaurant menu from an episode of Kitchen Nightmares.
While searching for the perfect outfit, I inadvertently entered the fast fashion world—an industry where styles change faster than the seasons, and the environmental impact of textile waste is overshadowed by affordability and trendsetting.
Allied Market Research indicates the fast fashion industry was valued at $103 billion in 2022 and is estimated to grow to $291.1 billion by 2032.
Products in this category are typically lower quality and, as a result, only last a few washes before being discarded. The most recent data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that landfills in the United States received 11.3 million tons of textiles in 2018, the most recent data available.
I recently connected with Stephen Aber, communications manager at the Environmental Research & Education Foundation (EREF), to discuss fast fashion’s dance with environmental responsibility.
Aber suggested that the clothing industry should take a “holistic approach” to advancing textile recycling, working to better understand a product's lifestyle through Lifestyle Assessment (LCA) studies.
“Scientific research and technological development are vital for advancing textile recycling,” he stated. “Chemical recycling breaks down textiles into their base molecules and reconstructs high-quality fibers, while improved fiber sorting technologies optimize the quality of recycled textiles.”
During the initial phase of designing and developing textiles, Aber suggested that clothing retailers focus on quality throughout the recycling and rebuilding processes, including:
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Enhancements in mechanical recycling methods and biotechnological approaches using enzymes for fiber breakdown offer eco-friendly alternatives;
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Closed-loop processes that maximize material recovery and reuse are crucial, requiring a comprehensive understanding of textiles' lifecycle and optimization of each step to minimize waste; and
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Evaluating energy requirements, environmental impact, economic viability, and scalability are all essential for implementing these solutions in the textile industry.
In addition, the consumer market is multifaceted with the emergence of social media influencers, which could be used to encourage more environmentally responsible purchasing.
“These influencers, like those on TikTok, can play a significant role in promoting sustainable fashion and helping promote new business models rather than fast fashion,” Aber stated. “TikTok hauls could focus on second-hand items, clothing swaps, or rental services rather than new, disposable items. It's also crucial that they promote the concept of buying less and choosing well, as well as caring for and repairing the clothes consumers already have.”
The tools and data available today make a holistic approach to solving fast fashion's environmental impact more achievable. The practice of direct-to-consumer ads sent through a smartphone 20 years ago - much less a Motorola RAZR - was in its infancy. Retailers have the power to educate consumers rather than push short-term trends that wind up in landfills for the long term.
In turn, consumers can speak volumes through their purchasing habits such as shopping for secondhand items and clothing from companies that value materials throughout the entire lifecycle. /BGNES