NoIt’s not certain, but it’s possible, perhaps probable. On this Black Friday, or Black Friday of shopping, the day (and week) of discounted and unbridled purchasing, It could happen that we buy something that we will only wear a couple of times, maybe five, but less than ten.
A shame, which is the emblem of the paradox we are experiencing. In an era of economic and environmental crisiswe compete for clothes and fashion products, which we perhaps purchase at a low price, for later wear them very few times and throw them away.
Black Friday reminder: the Planet doesn’t give discounts
Never more than in the week of Black Friday, in which we are continuously exposed to offers of products on sale, is it worth staying active on environmental issues.
With a joke, and a lot of data, the WWF reminds us that the Planet does not give discounts and every choice, even the lowest, has a very high environmental impact and only apparently saves money. In reality it makes Nature and us pay a heavy price in the long run.
Behind the low costs lies the use of low quality raw materials and chemical additives, high greenhouse gas emissions, the use and the waste of resources like soil and water. In addition to the pollution of aquifers and aquatic ecosystems. But also the exploitation of workers who often live in distant countries, forced to accept inhuman conditions.
Clothes wearing time decreased by 36%
Over the past 20 years, clothing wear time has decreased by 36%, with each item of clothing used on average just seven or eight times. Every year in Europe around 5 million tonnes of clothing are thrown away, around 12 kg per person that ends up in incinerators and landfills, inside and outside Europe. It is estimated that only 1% of all clothes in Europe are recycled into new products.
The impact of the textile industry on the planet
The textile industry ranks fourth in terms of environmental impact, after food production, construction and mobility. Clothing production and consumption are directly linked to land degradation, the conversion of natural ecosystems into cropland, pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss.
Approximately 175 million tons of primary raw materials, equal to 391 kilos per inhabitant, of which 40% is attributable to clothing. These data rank textiles as the fifth largest consumer sector in Europe in terms of use of primary raw materials.
Textile production also requires large expanses of land: 180,000 square kilometers are needed every year, of which only 8% is in Europe. Over 90% of land consumption occurs outside, especially in China and India.
The textile sector becomes like this the third largest land user, after the food production and the housing sector. Per person, the consumption of textiles requires 400 m2 of land, 9 m3 of water, 392 kilos of raw materials and the emission of 270 kg of CO2.
Black Friday, what to buy? Timeless, quality, repairable items
It’s consumerism, how old is it? Of course, but the phenomenon has assumed proportions which, in light of the now widespread awareness of the state of resources, it is no longer sustainable.
Reduce the impact of human action on the planet, including in the textile sector, it’s possible. Choosing garments made to last. Paying more attention to design timeless (vintage never goes out of fashion), to the care of the product and the offer of repair services. Garments made by companies that have sustainable business models that optimize the use of resources and that use recycled materials.
The WWF also has its own Conservation Collectionlaunched for Christmas in collaboration with Rifo: a company that uses regenerated and recyclable textile fibres, which makes intelligent choices. For example, the old clothes from which the wool to be reused is obtained are selected by color, therefore no new dye is necessary (which represents the most impactful process in the entire fashion industry).
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