Fashion industry and alarming situation of textile wastage

 

The fashion industry and alarming situation of textile wastage

The fashion industry grows and grows. More and more items of clothing are produced and thrown away again. Often without ever being worn or even sold in between. Textile manufacturing countries are facing some serious environmental threats as the chemical wastage and industrial wastage becoming a big issue to resolve, Pakistani textile industry has an iconic position globally, people like Pakistani clothing brands and especially Pakistanis settled abroad prefer their cultural wear.

#1-The textile industry is extremely bad for the climate

The textile industry causes 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalents every year. That is more than air or sea traffic. 60% of this production goes into the manufacture of clothing. According to some estimates, that's 5% of global emissions. This is also due to the fact that clothes are often made where people are poor, working conditions are poor and production is therefore cheap - and the energy supply is often outdated and dirty.

#2-40% of the clothes produced are not sold

Fashion labels are trying to push new fashion onto the market faster and faster. If any star is wearing an unusual outfit, replicas can often be found in shops a little later. One consequence of this, among other things, is that a large part of the goods produced never finds buyers at all.

#3-A purchased an item of clothing is only worn four times on average

Trends have one major disadvantage: They also go away again. With the fashion world turning faster and faster, people seem to quickly lose interest in their new clothes (or they never really needed them). An item of clothing is only worn four times on average. Many pieces remain without use at all.

#4-Almost none of this is recycled

Austrians throw 7 kilograms of textiles in the trash every year, only a tenth of them is recycled. Recycling textiles in high quality is technically very difficult. This is hardly possible with mixed materials. And wherever it is possible, it is expensive, time-consuming and requires a lot of energy. At best, the textiles are still reused as an insulating material or cleaning rags - not again as clothing. Therefore, the majority ends up in incineration or in garbage dumps.

#5-Austrians spend a lot on fashion

In Austria, people not only throw away a lot of textiles, but they also spend a lot of money on them. In a study by a Dutch fair fashion label from the beginning of 2020, Austrians spend the most money on it among 15 European countries: 1270 euros per person.

#6 Pakistan’s textile demand globally

Without any second opinion, Pakistan’s fabric and textile has a very huge demand and especially Pakistani born people living in the UK love to wear Pakistani gown and Men like to wear cultural kurta shalwar and short kurta with jeans. Many brands from Pakistan sell Pakistani Dresses online Uk, USA and Canada. When it comes to export, the factor of textile rejection is a big problem for exporters. But in underdeveloped countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh the rejected textile also come for reselling in the market at very cheap rates, so people with low income can also wear good quality clothes with minor defects. This also helps to reduce textile wastage.

#7-There is an alternative

The way out of the misery of "fast fashion" is not easy. New fabrics are time-consuming to manufacture (even natural fabrics often require a lot of material) and old ones are difficult to reuse. If you really need something new, there are manufacturers who value sustainable materials and fair production and long-lasting goods. Of course, it is good to find out about the conditions of manufacture and to pay attention to them. Buying secondhand can also be a contribution (at least if the person selling does not buy something new straight away).

The most important thing that you as an individual can do, however, is basically only buying clothes for long-term use and just thinking really hard about whether you need them. "Keep the clothes that you currently have and that you like," says fair fashion label founder Anna-Laura Kummer in an interview with MOMENT. The most sustainable garment is already in your closet.

Rang Jah provides the best Pakistani suit in the UK.