Reducing textile waste in the apparel industry: Examining EPR as an option

Incredible amounts of raw materials and environmental inputs are being used in an industry that has grown 60 per cent in the past fifteen years. The global clothing and apparel industry has streamlined supply chains and is working on sustainable initiatives to limit resource scarcity, but what is missing in the system is resource recovery for post-consumer textile waste. Although almost all textiles are reusable or recyclable, the vast majority (85 per cent) end up in landfills. By not being circular, the fashion industry is losing half a trillion dollars in underutilization and resource value annually. With consumers in large developing countries like Brazil, China, India, Mexico and Russia adopting current consumption rates, the system and its waste are expected to increase. The apparel industry needs to become circular and to adopt policies to reduce textile waste.