New research points out that factors such as population growth, rising consumption levels and a lack of recycling infrastructure are influencing the movement of clothing towards more sustainable design and lean manufacturing.
To reduce the environmental impact of the UK clothing industry, the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan 2020, managed by the Waste and Resources Action Plan, will The voluntary agreement was revised and the plan states that more items are now being dumped in bins, meaning more stuff ends up being buried or incinerated.
For six years, British retailers, brands and reuse and recycling industry organizations have been weighing their efforts under the “2020 Sustainable Clothing Action Plan” Promote progress on various goals.
WRAP said that with only one year of operations remaining to achieve its water and carbon footprint goals, it represents continued improvements compared to the 2012 baseline. Phased results have been achieved.
˙Water resources, before 2020, the water resources target has been achieved, reducing water consumption by more than 18% compared with the 15% target. This comes from the Quality Cotton Initiative, which provides suppliers with cotton-growing methods that are a major contribution to the water-saving program.
˙Carbon footprint, according to the current progress (13.4% improvement), WRAP believes that reaching the 15% carbon reduction target is just around the corner. This is due to a number of factors, including changes in the proportion of different fibers used and the increased use of sustainable forms of cotton.
But the report also points out that waste is still an area where the signatories have a huge impact.
˙The rate of waste reduction throughout the supply chain continues to be slow, with only an increase of 1.4% compared to the baseline. Supply chain transparency is gradually improving, and some SCAP retailers have drawn up their supply chain roadmaps. But there is more work to be done, and WRAP is working with signatories to try to improve this, but it believes it is unlikely to achieve the 3.5% target before December 2020.
˙End-of-life product waste, WRAP’s previous estimate of the amount of clothing discarded in the residual waste stream (2015 data) showed that compared to 2012 baseline, a reduction of 50,000 metric tons (14%). The latest data for 2017 shows a 4% decrease compared to the baseline. WRAP’s “State of the Textile Market Report” shows that between 2015 and 2017, the total volume of clothing sent to landfill or incineration increased by 10% (300,000-336,000 tons), although the total volume is still below the 350,000 tons benchmark quantity.
WRAP director Peter Maddox said: The next few years will be an important period for the industry. As well as the economic situation and fashion trends, we have Brexit and severe industry scrutiny, which may shape the future direction of the British fashion industry.
Environment Minister Rebecca Pow added: “We still have a lot to do, not least to reduce the amount of clothing sent to landfill. That’s why the Government is committed to setting out plans in our signature Resources and Waste Strategy to protect the environment and tackle climate change by reducing waste and using resources more sustainably.
Consumer Behavior
Another challenge continues to influence consumer behavior.
According to SCAP2020, the reasons for the increase in waste include population growth, increasing consumption levels, insufficient recycling infrastructure, and clothing that is not easily degraded when stored for a long time. WRAP pointed out that clothing consumption increased in 2014. It is estimated that people hold clothes for an average of three years, which means that there will be a peak abandonment trend in a few years. WRAP also found that clothing consumer spending has grown year-on-year, but has slowed down recently, with the UK spending approximately £60.5 billion (approximately $79.3 billion) on clothing each year.
Although the total amount of residual waste disposal has increased, on a per capita basis, the per capita population has actually decreased over time, compared with the 2012 base period Compared to that, the per capita level dropped by around 8%. Compared with the per capita output of 5.5 kilograms in 2012, the output in 2017 was 5 kilograms per person. WRAP believes that the total amount of clothing sent to landfills and incineration has increased recently, causing fluctuations in consumption patterns. Otherwise, the quantity should continue Go down situation.
Donations
Shoppers do use other channels to discard their unwanted clothes, such as charity shops and recycling banks, as well as private exchanges and sales. It is estimated that 620,000 tons of textiles were recovered for recycling in 2018; an increase of 600,000 tons compared to the previous year. Most is destined for the reuse market, with 32% in UK charity shops and around 60% exported.
But a large part of the clothes are still hidden in the closet, never worn or seen. WRAP said it hopes to encourage more people to donate their unused items.
Maddox added: When we are done with these items, we should focus on keeping these valuable materials in the economic cycle. Clothing has the largest environmental impact after housing, transport and food, yet nearly one million tonnes of textiles are burned or buried in the UK every year. Through investment and leadership, the UK is well-positioned to harness post-consumer textiles for fiber-to-fiber development.��The potential for reuse and deriving new raw materials from our old clothes.
WRAP operating system plans to launch an awareness-raising action in January 2020 to inspire more people to donate their unwanted clothes. “Love Clothes Donation Initiative” highlights various ways to easily donate clothes and pass on items.
“Love Clothes Action” was launched in 2014, aiming to inspire and influence consumers on a small scale to consciously adjust their consumption habits to reduce the impact of clothes on the environment. Love Clothes Action is part of the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, which is coordinated by the non-profit organization WRAP and supported by the British government.
