Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Fashion Recycled!

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Should we call it just a paradox or humanity’s pathetic collective irresponsibility that the world’s second biggest environmental polluting industry is estimated to be worth $3.3 billion by 2030? What is referred to here is the global fashion industry that annually generates in excess of 15.1 million tonnes of textile waste. While we feel trendy in our stylish clothes, we tend to gloss over the fact that these outfits contribute 20 per cent of the total industrial greenhouse gas emissions. Not at all glamorous, come to think of it.


heavy price


Sorry, Polonius... apparel oft proclaims the man, but can we afford to ignore the heavy price it exacts? How can we feel cool inside a 100 per cent pure cotton top-wear, knowing that as much as 22.5 per cent of the world’s insecticides and 10 per cent of the world’s pesticides (detrimental to both the environment and the farmers who grow it) go into its cultivation?


That’s why the textiles and fashion industry is increasingly embracing concepts such as wardrobe recycling, wardrobe upcycling, sustainable fashion etc. Wearing the same outfit multiple times or altering old clothes is no more considered a fashion faux pas. Rather they boldly define today’s haute couture philosophy.


The fact that fashionistas have matured enough to endorse evening-wear collections featuring used sequins made of discarded hospital X-ray films clearly shows that the industry is on a course-correction path.


But the sustainability movement needs to gain much more momentum. Statistics reveal that almost 100 billion items of clothing are produced globally each year, and almost 80 per cent of this ends up as garbage. According to Fashion Revolution, a fashion NGO, one truck of clothing goes to landfill every second. And these landfill sites add to the harmful methane emissions. However, recycling is more or less non-existent, with less than 1 per cent of clothing material being recycled into new clothing. Add to this the amount of valuable raw materials such as water and fossil fuels used in its manufacturing. While fossil fuels add to global warming, some other components such as chemical dyes and coatings are extremely toxic. Undeniably, the uptrend in fashion consumption continues to threaten our environment, and several experiments are being tried out to combat the ill-effects of unbridled fashion,


as we know it.


pop-up events


Clothes swapping is gaining popularity in some parts. The Big Clothes Switch organises pop-up events where people can swap clothes they no longer wear with others, and makes trash into style.


Such conscious efforts are having an impact. According to fashion search engine Lyst, there has been a 47 per cent increase in shoppers trying terms such as “vegan leather” and “organic cotton” over the last year. Even fashion brands are supporting the sustainability movement. H&M has offered to become climate positive by 2040 and has been recognised for its commitment to environmentally friendly fashion. The brand is increasingly using organic cotton, faux fur and recycled polyester in its clothing.


A study by Pulse of the Fashion Industry reveals that shoppers are increasingly looking at a fashion brand’s eco-friendly efforts, and as much as 75 per cent of consumers consider sustainability as either extremely or very important.


On the other hand, the “new fashion economy” is focusing on phasing out nonrenewable resources and going for renewable, regenerative inputs. Today we do have regenerated fibres along with bio-based and engineered.


With the Sultanate slowly emerging as a destination for innovative fashion, and the country producing talented designers who create fashion clothing of exquisite craftsmanship that blends the traditional and the modern, how the sustainability formula unfolds here will be quite interesting.


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