Goodbye to fast fashion: clothing made from recycled materials is cool

Goodbye to fast fashion: clothing made from recycled materials is cool

Goodbye to fast fashion: clothing made from recycled materials is cool

The most obvious function of clothing is to protect us from the cold, the rain, the wind or the sun. It also allows us to express ourselves: it reveals what job we do, what our favorite team is, what music we like, what our purchasing power is, or what we aspire to… In the field of fashion, advertising plays a big role.

Every season designers, manufacturers, advertisers, journalists and influencers determine which designs and colors will be trendy. By not following their rules, we feel that we do not dress according to the canons. It’s time to renew our closet!

Taking advantage of this situation, clothing manufacturers don´t hesitate to market fashionable but very cheap clothing. Known as fast fashion , it is often the result of factory relocation: it is manufactured in countries where labor is cheaper, hence its price. There is even talk of “ultra fast fashion”, with the emergence of players such as Shein or Temu in this market. The big drawback is that fast fashion contributes to a cycle of rapid consumption and disposal that greatly hampers textile recycling efforts and has a negative environmental impact:

A large amount of low-quality garments are produced and quickly discarded: huge amounts of textile waste end up in landfills, making recycling difficult.

These garments are made with synthetic materials and poor quality blends, which complicates their recycling. These materials do not decompose easily and release microplastics. microplastics into the environment.

Many garments contain dyes and toxic chemicals that can contaminate soil and water when discarded, affecting the viability of textile recycling, as handling these chemicals can be hazardous.

The production of this type of clothing consumes large amounts of water and energy, in addition to releasing significant greenhouse gas emissions. This not only affects the environment, but also reduces the resources available for more sustainable recycling processes.

For these reasons, before renewing the closet, let’s think about it. We need a more conscious and responsible consumption. Buy less and choose better. This means being more selective, prioritizing quality over quantity, and opting for versatile and timeless garments.

Some facts to make an informed purchasing decision: the fashion industry has the fourth largest impact on the environment and climate change, after food, housing and transport; textile consumption is one of the top three pressures on our planet’s water use; and EU countries generated an estimated 6.95 million tons of textile waste in 2020, equivalent to about 16 kilograms per person per year. Of this, 4.4 kg per person was collected separately for disposal. reuse and recycling, but the overwhelming figure of 11.6 kg ended up mixed with household waste.

Our love of clothes comes at an enormous environmental cost. Fortunately, separate collection of textiles is already mandatory in more than half of the EU states, although in most cases these are reusable products. Luxembourg and Belgium have the highest separate textile collection rates in the bloc, followed closely by the Netherlands and Austria. They know that it is essential to prevent clothing from ending up in incinerators, landfills or being exported outside the EU.

It is essential to move towards a more sustainable and circular textile sector, as established by the European Commission in its Circular Economy Action Plan. Specifically, its Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles will ensure that, by 2030, all textile products placed on the European market are durable, recyclable and produced with respect for social rights and the environment. Unfortunately, only 1% of the material used worldwide for clothing is currently recycled into new clothing.

Our love of clothes comes at an enormous environmental cost, especially fast fashion. Fortunately, in more than half of the EU states it is already mandatory to collect textile products separately, although in most cases these are reusable products.

Recycling in fashion

In the 1980s and 1990s, upcycling became a creative tool for fashion designers. This recycling technique consists of reusing parts of textile elements, either the material or the final pieces, in order to turn waste into desirable new garments. Starting in 2000, designers such as Spain’s Miguel Adrover will use upcycling as a creative tool for fashion designers. upcycling as a creative tool and as a way to fight against the prevailing system of fast fashion.

We are optimistic: instead of opting for the “throwaway” model, consumers are increasingly turning to recycling points to dispose of old clothes, and buying more second-hand, either online or in physical stores. And interest is growing in clothing made from organic, recycled or biodegradable materials, such as organic cotton, linen, hemp and Tencel. These materials have a lower environmental impact compared to synthetics.

One example is the Thinking Mu brand. It is promoted as sustainable and regenerative, because the products or production methods used not only do not pollute but also facilitate the regeneration of the environment, i.e., they decontaminate. And this is so, either by using recycled fibers, either from recycled materials from discarded clothing (Post-Consumer Recycled Material, PCR) or from industrial manufacturing processes; by using HEMP HEMP (hemp) – capable of absorbing much more CO2 than other cellulosic fibers -, or by using other biofibers such as Tencel, which are produced in a more sustainable way and are fully compostable, i.e. they can biodegrade biologically to form compost. Other pioneering brands on the road to more sustainable and responsible fashion are: Ecoalf, which creates clothing and accessories from plastic bottles collected from the ocean, tires and fishing nets; Patagonia, which uses recycled polyester in many of its garments; and Girlfriend Collective, a brand specializing in sportswear made from plastic bottles.

PICVISA joins RETEXCAT project

The main Catalan fashion brands have already committed to training in eco-design. They have joined the Retexcat project, which involves a dozen industrial companies, including PICVISA. Developed within the framework of the Pact for Circular Fashion in Catalonia, the aim of Retexcat is to join and coordinate the efforts of the actors in the textile value chain, to build a more sustainable and environmentally friendly industry.

Say goodbye to fast fashion and welcome slow fashion, which promotes the ethical and sustainable production of high-quality, durable clothing. Wearing these clothes means doing your bit to preserve nature, but it is important to look at the labels and find out where they were made. Because there are brands that try to mislead consumers by promoting false environmental practices, when what they are really doing is greenwashingalso known as “ecopostureo” or “eco-laundering”, even at the cost of losing prestige. We have the freedom to choose. It is comforting to discover that there are already many people who are committed to sustainable, long-lasting fashion and to preserving the environment.