373,000 tonnes of new clothes are imported each year
10,000 tonnes of clothes are made in Australia each year
210,000 tonnes a year go to clothing bins or charities
200,000 tonnes of clothes end up in landfill each year
Just 2 per cent of old clothing gets recycled
Source: AFC/Sustainable Resource Use
Out of the top vendors of clothing only 6 signed up for the voluntary scheme, which in my view was rather conservative in its scope and aims anyway.
I don’t know if I am stating the obvious or being cynical (or both) but I think the idea of reducing clothing wastage is anathema to the fashion industry. It is the complete opposite of their plan to have you buy new fashion clothes (winter and summer) every year. They produce garments for a pittance utilising sweat-shop labour and there is no part of that plan where the garments have any purpose once their year is up because they must be replaced.
The chance of moving the dial voluntarily away from ‘keeping up’, ‘being cool’, ‘look at me’, “be the first” even a symbolic amount is slim. After all, once begun who knows where that kind of nonsense might lead to.
On average, each Australian buys about 56 items every year,
If that is the average there must be some at the forefront of the latest fashion who buy and dispose of many more items yearly.
In a world of limited resources there is no place for the kind of thinking that accelerates the treadmill of pointless consumption to produce such ridiculous waste.
We need to change the mindset of Australians to avoid fast fashion waste. Clothes should be worn until they can’t be worn any more (such as losing elasticity or having holes), rather than wear once because one is worried that they might be seen again (with same friends or on social media) wearing the same cloths.
I don’t think it is necessarily about fashion pushing constant yearly or seasonal changes that one must keep up with.
Some people just love shopping, and will buy something whether needed or not.
Also some in my family seem to think giving me some clothing item is what I want for birthday and Christmas. Much gets sent off to Op shops only ever worn once or not all all.
I worked in Kmart for nearly 7 years and you’re right about the compulsion to shop so many people have. It’s an addiction and there’s nothing rational about the transaction. The only thing those of us who care about the future of this planet can do is to make recycling easier. I recently discovered somewhere I can deposit textiles for recycling into cleaning cloths and it’s been such a relief. I already give my clothes a second life by wearing them as undergarments or pyjamas, but I hated then disposing of the useless remains in the regular rubbish bin. Now they have a third life as commercial cleaning cloths. The only pity is they probably end up in the bin after that.
Similar has been said of other ailments including nicotine, gambling, and alcohol plus other substances. How much is due to enterprise and clever marketing?
Abstinence is often cited as the cure. For the clothing addiction, a complete ban might be the stark reality ahead. Oops.
Is the solution to the addiction a ban on fashion, fashion branding and above all else advertising? Similar in outlook to the plain packaging of cigs and those revealing pack shots. What if all clothing came plain packaged? It could featuring pack shots of the more average consumers of all ages, skin complexions, shapes and sizes sporting the latest in revealing swim wear? The more realistic the model-less images the greater the impact. But if it does happen to look great on a lady that reminds you of your granny, perhaps it’s a winner. Timeless fashion.
Certainly our grandparents new a thing or two about being economical with clothing. And it all managed to fit into the one free standing robe, his to one side and hers to the other.
Some big numbers here but if my maths is right that equates to about 10 Kg of clothes per person going to land fill per year. I think that’s acceptable.
Not necessarily. I have worked in places that used cleaning cloths made from recycled clothes and towels, etc. Once used and dirty, they went off to a commercial laundry service to come back good and clean to be used all over again. Until they eventually fall apart.
Are you saying you think it is acceptable for each person to throw out 10kg of clothing per year, or is there a “not” missing from in front of acceptable?
The problem with averages: I don’t think that I buy more than about 10 new items of clothing per year; and someone is throwing out an awful lot to make up for me, because I wouldn’t come anywhere near that 10kg figure.
Shoes should also be included to make it apparel waste instead of just clothing. We have discussed elsewhere in the community that there is a problem with the soles of shoes perishing and disintegrating even if not worn. Due to the manufacturing methods of modern shoes it’s often impossible to replace the crumbling shoe soles. Also, there are a lot of females who wouldn’t be caught dead in out-of-fashion shoes. I wonder what the total weight of ALL discarded apparel would be?
Thanks for these comments. I believe 10 Kg is acceptable and realistic, although I am like you well below this level of clothes disposal. The original article had some ‘scary’ large numbers in it. I think the 10Kg figure puts some perspective into this topic. Even though it is an average, which simplifies things a lot, it is still a guide to the nature of the disposal of clothing.
Or one could simply take it all to the MCG and pile it up on the turf. It might reach 20m skyward. Ideally viewed from the back row seats, front row would be a waste of money.
Perhaps you could expand a bit on this. How does breaking the total down to an individual figure add perspective? How did decide that 10 kg per head per year was acceptable? If it was 50 kg would that be acceptable? How did you decide?
I would hope they wash their cleaning cloths and use them more than once. I was referring to my assumption that the remaining fibres in the worn out cloths probably weren’t then recycled.
The suggestion is it’s not that waste goes to landfill. It’s the consumption it represents and impacts of new garments entering the system that are the source.
I recently bought new undies… only because the old ones were falling to bits. I hate clothes shopping so pretty much ignore it until I must. The question is, though, what to do with the old holey and ragged stuff. Landfill or?
Most organisations which take preloved garments don’t accept items that can’t be resold. However, there are a limited number that may take them. See
If they are cotton ,they may make good cleaning/polishing rags. If they can also be torn into strips, they should be able to be used as ties in the garden.
I have a hierarchy. New clothes get worn out of the house or if we have guests and I want to look, if not stylish then, at least acceptable. Once they start to show signs of wear or immovable stains they are restricted to around the house or garden. After that wearing for dirty or difficult jobs that may cause further damage, for example pruning trees where they may pull or catch clothing, cleaning out the AWTS, painting, etc.
When they get to the point where the garment is no longer useful to wear it depends on the material. Cotton or other fabrics that may be good cleaning or painting rags are reserved for that purpose. Others that are no use or are already covered in paint or more holes than fibre go to landfill.
I have never given clothes to charity as they wouldn’t take them in the condition I would be prepared to give them away, that is without visible damage.
There is no doubt that some used clothing has to go to landfill eventually. Where I have the problem is the amount that goes to landfill is such a high proportion of the amount bought annually. This says to me that many times the garment is only a year or two old and could be used for something. I realise that not everybody can give their clothes a second or third life around the house but there is nothing available other than landfill.
Some garments can be converted back to fibre and re-made into new clothing or other useful purposes but there is no way to do that on a large scale I can see. This seems to be another aspect of recycling being a farce or non existent in this country. The reason is fairly obvious, money. Until water, land and fertiliser become more scarce grown fibre isn’t worth re-using, until petroleum becomes more scarce synthetics are the same.
I give clothes that are in near new condition, or clothes that are acceptable but no longer fit me as I grow larger
I have been putting the stuff they wont accept, into the garbage but I’ll check the recycling near yu place and see if theres somewhere here I could send the stuff that is basically rags.
Old clothes that aren’t fit for donation as clothing can be donated instead to charities that cut them into cleaning cloths and sell them. In NSW and the ACT for instance you can give them to Koomarri.
Oops.
