The Dutch throw away approximately 215 to 310 million kilos of clothing, shoes and linen every year. This amounts to approximately 15 to 18 kilos per person per year. This mountain of textile waste is increasing due to the throwaway culture of ‘fast fashion’. An industry that constantly introduces new fashion trends. This not only results in poor quality clothing, often made in poor working conditions, but also in a huge amount of low-quality textile waste and a lack of investment in reuse and recycling.
David Jansen-Licht of Milieuwerk Amsterdam sees how much clothing is thrown away every day. His company collects all the textile waste from Amsterdam and the surrounding area.To contain the large amount of clothing waste,Vroege Vogels works with sustainable fashion activists When Sara Smiles.
The Mounting Crisis of Fast Fashion Waste: A Global Problem
The habit of discarding clothing after only a few wears is contributing to a growing environmental crisis, particularly with the rise of “ultra-fast fashion.” A concerningly small percentage of discarded textiles – approximately 1% in the Netherlands – are actually recycled into new clothing. This number is decreasing as the quality of cheap, rapidly produced garments deteriorates, making them unsuitable for recycling.
The Problem with Polyester & Ultra-Fast Fashion
Much of today’s inexpensive clothing, sold by retailers like Primark, Shein, and Temu, is made from polyester, a synthetic material that is notoriously challenging to recycle. This means that a vast amount of discarded clothing ends up as waste, rather than being given a new life.
Activism and Raising Awareness
Sustainable fashion activists are working to expose the detrimental impacts of the clothing industry. Kiki Boreel and Sara Dubbeldam, for example, staged a powerful presentation by dumping 6,000 kilograms of discarded fast fashion clothing in Amsterdam’s Kalverstraat shopping street. This amount represents the volume of clothing thrown away by dutch consumers every ten minutes. Thier action launched a campaign urging fashion companies to be clear about their production volumes.
The Export of Waste to Ghana
Clothing deemed unusable by second-hand stores in Europe is often exported to countries like Ghana. Approximately 100 shipping containers filled with used clothing arrive in Ghana each week. The influx of discarded garments, fueled by fast fashion, is overwhelming the country’s capacity to manage the waste.
In Accra, Ghana’s capital, an estimated 40% of imported clothing ends up as waste.This waste is disposed of in official landfills, but a significant portion is also burned, contributing to air pollution, or ends up in rivers and ultimately the ocean, polluting beaches and marine ecosystems. A 2023 report by the Or Foundation estimates that 15 million garments arrive in Ghana every week.
The Impact of Events Like Black Friday
Events like Black Friday exacerbate the problem. The American import encourages mass consumption through deep discounts, leading consumers to purchase items they don’t need. Activists like Dubbeldam and Boreel are advocating for more sustainable consumer choices and urging shoppers to consider the environmental impact of their purchases.
what can Be Done?
Addressing this crisis requires a multi-faceted approach:
* Reduce Consumption: Consumers can make a significant impact by buying less clothing and choosing quality over quantity.
* Support Sustainable Brands: Prioritizing brands committed to ethical and environmentally responsible production practices.
* Demand Clarity: Holding fashion companies accountable for their environmental impact and urging them to adopt circular economy models.
* Improve Recycling Infrastructure: Investing in technologies and infrastructure to effectively recycle textile waste, particularly polyester.
* Extended Producer Responsibility: implementing policies that make producers responsible for the end-of-life management of their products.
Sources:
* https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/nov/24/shein-temu-ultra-fast-fashion-ghana-kantamanto-waste
* [https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/11/24/fast-fashion-waste-is-piling-up-in-ghana-and-its-a-growing-environmental-disaster](https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/11/24/fast-fashion-waste-is-piling-up-
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