A new report has been published by Cambridge University titled "Well Dressed - The present and future sustainability of clothing and textiles in the UK". It reviews the situation in the clothing and textile sector essentially using 2004 as the base year, provides mass balance material flows for the sector and uses future scenarios for predicting sustainability within the industry.
The majority of the funding for the research came through the Biffa Award scheme, though Marks and Spencer also made an important contribution.
Combined clothing and textile wastes in the UK are found by the researchers to be around 0.7% of national waste production, though sadly circa three-quarters of this currently goes to landfill.
The documents notes that only 15% of clothing and textiles are recycled or re-used, though there is virtually no fibre recycling in this country and there has been no technological innovation for a couple of centuries.
The report considers from an efficiency viewpoint, that incineration is always preferable to landfill because of the energy liberated and reduced land use. From a recycling viewpoint new technologies offer many opportunities. The RECAMS project which successfully demonstrated the feasibility of recycling carpets, is not currently economically viable but this could change.
Major environmental impacts from the TCS sector are considered in the report though the majority of the impacts are related to the use of energy and toxic chemicals. Waste impacts in the UK are said to be rising due to increasing production which is influenced by "fast fashion". Textile and clothing waste sent to landfill is quoted at 30kg per person per year.
The report also advocates the possibility of eco-taxes as one of the several options put forward for reducing clothing and textile material flows through the UK economy.
The report is of importance to the waste management sector in terms of current mass balance product and raw material flow estimates and also on the future effects on the waste textile industry of changes to the textile and clothing sector (TCS). It is an important read for waste managers with an interest in the sector as it gives a comprehensive view of the TCS both current and future as well as quantifying wastes arising.
Other issues
The report indicates that the TCS is an important international sector accounting for around 7% of world production. Unsurprisingly China accounts for 25% of that and is the fastest growing internal economy. Also highlighted is the continued growth in the sector while prices are at the same time falling.
The report considers that growth is almost entirely due to that being experienced by the man-made fibre polyester.
There appear to be many downsides to the global industry in some regions including low wages below minimum living requirements, use of child labour despite attempts to stamp it out, and suppression of unionism amongst others.
The report also considers flows of materials though the UK in some detail. This information is similar to that produced for other sectors under the Biffa Award banner where material flows and mass balance have been the subject of a considerable body of research in the initial steps to establish a national database of information in the longer term. It is difficult to understand the use of material resources, energy and wastes without this type of information.
The report says that the largest part of the work was related to the future scenario analysis for a wide range of possibilities. Possible improvement in sustainability include producing products with a longer life expectancy and increasing recycling. Recycling is considered to be particularly important for products having a high environmental impact in the production phase.
The report can be viewed here or it can also be purchased from the Cambridge University Institute for Manufacturing.