Public discourse is characterized by rising electricity and gas prices and the question of where and how savings can be made. Supporters of sustainable practices such as upcycling in the fashion industry are right for this rethinking, because they have been preparing for these questions for a long time.
The age of carelessness and the supposed abundance of raw materials, energy and water is over. Global warming, the disruption of supply chains associated with the pandemic and the strengthening of authoritarian regimes promise to transform our values on a global scale.
In view of these new requirements, the fashion industry is also being asked to rethink. As a reminder, the industry is one of the most polluting in the world, releasing billions of microfibers into the environment every year, not to mention the excessive water consumption required to grow certain fibers. Two numbers to back this up: it takes up to 20,000 liters of water to grow a single kilogram of cotton. Every European produces more than 15 kilograms of textile waste per year.
Recycling is therefore a necessity. But can all materials be recycled? The answer is not very simple.
natural fibers
The recycling of wool has been practiced for a long time. It dates back to the Middle Ages, as the Première Vision fair explains. Wool merchants pioneered mechanical recycling, giving fabrics a new lease of life. This technique has also been transferred to cotton, which can also be sorted by colour, shredded and processed into a new fibre. Cotton can also be processed into cellulosic materials through chemical recycling. Linen and hemp (which requires infinitely less water and pesticides to grow than cotton) are also gaining popularity.
Only 1 percent of recycled materials come from textile-to-textile recycling
With regard to leather, the industry regularly reminds that it is sustainable because it is a waste product: farm animals such as cows or sheep are not bred for their skins, but for their meat. Leather can also be recycled into new textiles at the end of its product life.
Metals can also be easily recycled. It can be melted down and reused. In summary, cotton, wool, leather and metals can all be recycled.
The European Union’s Sustainable and Circular Textiles Strategy aims to reduce the amount of textiles going to landfill by including more recycled textiles in the design of clothing. Currently, only one percent of textile waste is recycled and made into new clothing. There are several reasons for this discrepancy between expectations, opportunities and outcomes. First and foremost, polyester has experienced rapid growth over the past 20 years, driven primarily by fast fashion companies like Shein, H&M, Asos, Boohoo, and Forever 21.
However, the ever-increasing consumption of synthetic materials requires significant fossil and petrochemical resources. Synthetic fabrics can be recycled, but only if they do not contain a mixture of fibres, so recycled polyester fibers are mostly derived from PET bottles. So waste from the food industry can be reused, but not products from the textile industry, which often weaves synthetic and natural fibers. These cannot then be easily separated again. So what are the solutions? Brands and retailers will have no choice but to reduce their reliance on synthetics in the coming decades. But you should also prefer mono-materials (or at most bi-materials of the same kind) and long fibers, which are a prerequisite for the second life of a fabric.
“Very few recyclers accept garments made from multiple fabrics, such as 95 percent cotton and 5 percent elastane. In such cases, the cotton is recycled and the elastane is burned, which unfortunately always has an impact on the environment,” confirms designer Grėtė Švėgždaitė, who founded the Gretes brand in Lithuania. This brand turns sleepwear that has been recycled into yarn that can be used by other manufacturers, bringing the fabric back into the production chain and reducing pressure on landfills.
However, the designer warns: “To benefit from full recycling and conversion into another product, a garment must be made from 100 percent natural material”. This is also confirmed by Première Vision, which recommends avoiding metallic threads and elastane above five percent and advises against complex fabrics such as jacquard, jetée knits, fabrics with high elasticity and very thick materials or very fine yarns. Finally, it should be noted that certain finishes or finishes such as anti-crease, flocking and coatings affect recyclability. Glued or sewn fabrics are also problematic. Finally, one final piece of advice: while recycling is part of the circular economy, above all, a responsible garment should have the ability to outlast trends and achieve longevity.
This article was similar on FashionUnited.fr