Unsold Clothing: Sustainable Solutions to Fashion Waste
Whether you're a fashionista or not, you know that new products are constantly coming out. As trends in the fashion industry are constantly changing and brands want to produce more and cheaper, new clothing items are being offered to the masses. Products that cannot be sold during the season are discounted in an attempt to increase consumption. But what happens to products that cannot be sold during the season and are on sale? We wish the answer to this question was "they are donated" or "recycled", but unfortunately that is not the case.
As a result, this consumption frenzy has negative consequences for the environment. The textile industry is responsible for about 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions [1]. This means that the textile industry consumes more energy than air and sea transport combined [2]. Yes, the textile production process causes enormous environmental damage, and overproduction multiplies these damages. About 30% of the clothing produced each season is not sold [3]. The unsold inventory must be disposed of to make room for "trendier clothing."
What really happens to these surplus goods? The worst thing we can imagine is throwing away or destroying unsold clothing. Unfortunately, we know that some luxury fashion brands burn unsold clothing and cosmetics at the end of the season to avoid damaging their image in the eyes of consumers with discounts [4]. But it's not just luxury brands that are extremely wasteful. It has also been reported that many well-known fast fashion brands burn unsold clothing [5]. When brands are accused of burning unsold stock, they may claim that the energy released from burning these products makes the process environmentally friendly. However, although burning unsold clothing can help recover some energy, the true climate impacts of the products are not taken into account according to a report presented in 2019. Burning clothing releases carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming and harming our health. Additionally, many garments today are made of plastic, and burning these garments can release plastic microfibers into the atmosphere. Even if the clothing is not burned but simply thrown into a landfill, it takes years to decompose [6].
Fortunately, however, consumer habits are changing, leading brands to adopt more socially responsible strategies. Some brands prefer to donate their old inventory rather than destroy it. However, this is not enough to avoid waste, because while one brand donates one product, at least five products from another brand are destroyed. To radically solve this problem, brands should focus on sustainability and the key players in the sector should produce less. It is also important to adopt legal regulations that prevent the destruction of products that cannot be sold, as in France [7].
What can brands do to reduce unsold clothing?
- The needs of consumers can be better understood and the ability to pre-order products allows the production of models and sizes to be adapted to needs through the use of technology
- New products can be brought to market by recycling old stocks
- Unsold clothing can be donated to charities and given to those in need
- Timeless collections that do not go out of style can be saved and resold until the next suitable season
- Obsolete collections can be sold as new, with design additions and minor renovations
- Brands can encourage customers who bring their old clothes to be recycled with discount coupons or special offers
What can consumers do about unsold clothing?
- Instead of buying products from fast fashion brands, you can support sustainable and ethical fashion brands
- You can contribute to recycling by buying or trading second-hand clothing
- You can recycle your unused clothes by making new designs
- You can donate clothes that are too small for your child or things that you no longer use
As Walkiddy we work with our partners and accept pre-orders. This allows us to prevent clothing waste by setting the production number of our collections according to demand... And as a customer, you can choose sustainable brands when buying clothes for your child and yourself. You too can take a step to prevent the damage caused by unsold clothes by following the methods mentioned above.
[2] https://unfccc.int/news/un-helps-fashion-industry-shift-to-low-carbon
[4] https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44885983
[5] https://www.euronews.com/2017/10/18/tv-report-claims-hm-burns-unsold-clothes
[6] https://www.bbcearth.com/news/will-fashion-firms-stop-burning-clothes