How many pieces of clothing are YOU buying every year? 👆

We can, but we should buy less! ;) No tech is going to save us from overconsumption.

Dump waste in your own country rather than discarding and dumping it in poor countries.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle recycling comes third. reduce the number of clothes bought first

In a dump within a year? I'm still wearing clothes from high school...

Influencer culture is much to blame here. Influencers are constantly showing new things and people get tempted to buy everything the influencers show without knowing if the material is actually good or if the craftsmanship will actually hold up. And people replace things so fast because they’re shown exactly that by influencers. It’s terrible

I keep wondering, as a quilter, why nobody has started manufacturing batting out of waste textiles. I already use pilly old thrifted blankets and towels inside my quilts because that's more sustainable than buying more bags of new polyester batting. There's got to be a way to shred up waste fabric and either fluff it up into stuffing for pillows and toys, or hammer it into batting sheets for quilts. And yet the only eco option I can ever find is stuffing made from pop bottles.

I am a minimalist, so I only buy the same basic designs over and over again and only buy clothes as they need replacing... Which is every few years... The last time I spent over $100 on clothing was probably 5 years ago...

Hello, surprised there was no mention of Prato, the Italian town which has specialised in garment recycling for decades if not longer, producing high quality textiles in wool, cotton, linen etc. easy to think that we need technology to solve part of the problem, yet this one town has been using the same techniques successfully for a really long time. Follow up report?

14 clothes per year per person?! I buy maybe 1-2 in a year and wear till they tear. Then they are repurposed for home use and then for cleaning. Who is buying my share of 12-13 other clothes?

Make wearing garbage fashionable like that scene from Zoolander. Fashionistas will wear anything with a fancy label on it. You can literally sell waste at a profit and reduce pollution simultaneously.

Wait a Moment! Shopping has never been easier? Try to find clothing that isn't garbage already in the shop or after the first wash. Shopping has never been harder. It is almost easier to sew your own.

I buy at thrift shops so I can get 100% natural fibre clothes. Most clothing these days is made with some, if not all, polyester (plastic) which breaks down very quickly when used as clothing, sofas covers, etc. This is not the case with natural fibers.

I honestly think it would be better to invest in increasing the number of thrift stores and repair shops. Reusing comes before recycling (and is the most useful of the three Rs).

Thank you , these documentaries are so necesary to become concious in the first place. Everyone of us is responsable for items we buy in any moment, textiles , food, furniture etc. We can start now and really think where It lands one day It is not used anymore.

As children, we only had one set of new clothes once a year. Nowadays when I need clothes, I just get them from a charity shop. We really need to keep clothing out of landfills as much as possible.

There's a free store in my town & they get so many clothing donations that they can't keep nearly all of it. I know they have a deal with some company that takes it, but Idk the details. As a crafter, I want to take some of it off their hands but I need more ideas & time to implement them. Anything I sell has some proceeds go to them. I haven't bought any new clothes in years, actually. The newest clothing I have is the leg warmers I made from the arms of a worn sweater the free store got in. Very helpful in a chilly home!

Am I the only one that does NOT like to buy new clothes? I only buy (clothes) second-hand personally. it's not so much from an environmental standpoint, but mostly 50 economic and 50 fashion, because oftentimes we did better before.

I agree about having no fashion sense. I don't care what's in or what's out. I retired 13 years ago and am still wearing shirts that I wore for work. I've got a few items in my drawers that are 25-30 years old, but still wearable. Actually, since I bought some items, they have come into fashion twice more! When I do replace, these days it's a red tshirt or black sweat pants that gets bought. I keep them for years, down grade them when worn, eventually use as cleaning clothes. I throw away as a last resort. I just don't see the point of fashion, and as for fast fashion, well, I think that it is rather silly.

As a someone working in a fashion industry (robes for judges, softshell clothes but most importantly carneval costumes-we would love for people to not buy them for us but borow them for a small fee and we are trying to change the busness modell for it so we can offer wide range of quality costumes for hire rather than cheap syntetic costumes that people buy (for 3-5 tomes more money than they can rent it for a week) that they wear once for carnewal and thwor out afterwards (especially our costumers in Germany do that because we as a Czech suplier have to stay competetive with cheep costumes from Asia)

Regarding that last question, it isn't an either/or situation. It is a both/and situation. Reduce consumption, and repair, and reuse, and recreate, and reuse, and redistribute responsibly, and recycle when necessary. Most important: make fashion personal. Don't be a pawn of the industry. If you have clothes you love, wear them for 30 years, with pride!

Aside from the occasional (maybe one every 2 years) buying of undergarments, I only go to thrift stores. Salvation Army, Good Will etc. They do have their own problems with labor laws but at least I feel I have removed myself from this cycle of consumption.

Textile industry, just like every other industry can easily improve by just introducing legislation for them to fully cover all externalized costs (the environmental and labor costs for the full lifecycle of the product).

❤Thank you for showing the fibre separation process...important stepping stone on THE PATH TO NO EXCUSES. Bravo once again 👍👍

I have resewn and added new waitsbands in 20 of my partner's underwear. 2 years now they still hold on and if need be I will repair them again. Saved not just 20 but 40!!! 20 from landfil and further 20 from buying new ones. Plus the money spent for new ones. I probably bought all the fabric I needed for the cost of one pair of undies!!!

I have been buying from thrift stores for almost 30 years. I rarely buy new.

Thank you for the video 🙏 I am also on my way to zero fashion sense, minimalism and low waste. I get inspired when I watch videos like this as I feel that I am not alone on this way😊

This question has been bothering me since childhood, because when we lived, we accumulated simply huge volumes of clothes and various kinds of materials related to this, and the only thing that was not recycled in principle, only reuse, burning and that's it. Having delved into the possibilities of solving this issue from the point of view of chemical technology, the difficulties became clear. Today, I think that in the long term, we need to increase the share of biodegradable clothing, this is the only chance for change, and in the medium term, it is the deepening of chemical, biochemical processing of clothing from synthetic materials.

Before recycling, there is reusing as long as possible, then upcycle, then recycle.

Best way to stop waste is stop buying buy less!

Renewcell ( one of the companies you mention as exciting new ways to recycle) just went bankrupt last month because they underestimated how many companies would be willing to buy the recycled and still lesser quality fibers they produced. Because the thing is… chemistry is not magic and even if you are not chopping up a piece of fabric ( which btw you still have to for chem recycling) the chemical treatment required to discolor it and respin it, still break it down partially. So it’s still less strong and you just put it through a costly production step. This is a result of the 2nd rule of thermodynamics, and it is not something that can be overcome by technology, this is a fundamental phycical characteristic of all matter in this universe. So the only thing that can be overcome it the psychological expectation we have for recycling and the value we place on it as a practice

This is infuriating, we have now reached a point where we have the technology to slow and even halt global warming, but we need legislation and investment to catch up where we can utilise this technology properly. Businesses for profit will not have a change of heart and help with this on their own.

Only but underwear new. The rest including shoes and coats are used. I make t shirts into rag rugs. Dhurri carpets also use rags. Policy change to natural fibre only would help. An entire year where no new clothes are made or sold to use up the glut of clothes would help. Never gonna happen but it’s like a fishery. Sometimes they close for the long term health of the fish stocks.

If everyone would be like me we wouldn't have that problem. I buy only new clothes when my old ones are broken and i even wear second hand. Clothes that doesn't fit me anymore i give to anyone who wants it for free.

Influencers on utube don't help. Need more influncers showing this side of fashion. Also the fashion industry likes to make billions of dollars every year marketing to consumers. Having good quality staple pieces that wont date and wont go out of fashion due to trends will save you money and you can wear year after year. Not to mention save the environment if everyone did this. I was going to discard an old denim jacket but have just upcycled it as a hobby. I absolutely love it! With an embroided patch on the back with ribbon trims it looks like a designer jacket and i did it myself!

It’s a shame that the companies that promised to buy renewcells products stepped back.

What a shame.. I have been looking for my size of 'Circular' jeans on the Levis website, but they never seem to have '36' in stock.

Farmers get a lot of blame for its high carbon footprint. But most farmers wear worn clothes for farming in my area

I buy only 100% natural-fiber clothing. Not only can these be recycled or biodegrade at the end of their wearable life, more importantly, first they will be chosen for secondhand wear when donated or sold. Recycling synthetics for other uses, like patio fabrics, awnings, etc., is good, but I can’t buy clothes made of this or any other plastic, recycled or new. The most sustainable practices are: buy only natural fibers, which have intrinsic value; minimize washing/don’t tumble-dry; and wear what you have, if you won’t, then pass it on to someone who will. Most people don’t realize that just 1-4% of a synthetic/plastic fiber, whether Spandex, nylon, etc., will make the fabric non-recyclable. The only exception might be wool fibers used to make home insulation, as we use here in California. A small percentage of synthetic fiber might be allowed in that, but I don’t know for sure.

My parents taught me to buy what I need, not what I want. I only replace something when it is worn or torn. It saves the planet and my money.

It's encouraging to see innovative technologies like BlockTexx and Re-Fresh Global leading the charge in textile recycling. This shift not only promises significant environmental benefits but also offers a sustainable pathway for industries reliant on synthetic fibers. 🌿

Well done on the in-depth yet digestible reporting! More content like this!

If individual socks and underwear are included in that count, the 14 items per year per person might be almost reasonable, but otherwise there must be someone buying twice that to compensate for me. Particularly with pants I use them till I've just about worn through them. The odd time the stitching goes before the material, but a needle and thread are stupidly cheap compared to the time, money and effort of finding and buying new clothes - plenty of guides on sewing on youtube for anyone who wants to skip the awkward steps of teaching themselves too. Despite the clothing/fashion industry's complete refusal to recycle, a surprising number of shirts and pants still come with spare buttons sewn inside them to allow missing buttons to be replaced.

Yes, it is me who has bought all those clothes! I am transitioning to retirement and will be on a limited income in the future. I need a casual wardrobe with just a few dress up items. I usually buy clothes online and infrequently shop in the thrift store. I am going through my closet now to see what I can bring to Salvation Army.

Imagine if each peace of clothing had a tagg. Now imagine if you had to pay 3 euros of that tagg, this was required by law. Now imagine if when your done with the clothes, you would simply hand in those clothes to the store, and get your 3-euros back. Leaving the store obligated to take care of the recycling, and not the consumer. This would even spring new life in local stores, as sending in a package with your old clothes sound like too much effort for the regular consumer.

It’s everyone that needs to participate to make a difference..do our best to make a contribution..

Germany can burn those unuseable cloth to produce heat and can use to hit water

That's brilliant entrepreneur idea that must change the thinking of whole world and adopt this concept... The big impact directly dedicated to climate change... 👏👏👏

Ban online sale of Clothing. Only retail. It may reduce purchase. But it is not likely

I feel like this video came at the right time coz this year gosh I've spent more than my previous years on clothing. And even I myself were surprised at it. I feel like I should at least do something with my old clothing first before I actually buy a new one. But to be fair.. on the previous years I weren't even spending much on clothes so my average might just be like 5-7 full outfits per year. Mind you it's FULL OUTFITS from inner wear till outer wear.

I have got into the practice of donating my clothes to fast-fashion brands for recycling and donation programs and I get vouchers. I also make sure to take good care of my clothes, that is, I don't unnecessarily wash them in high temperatures, I hand wash if a garment is not too dirty or if I suspect that it will be ruined in the washing machine and I only buy diachronic designs and shapes. The oldest fast-fashion garments that I have are two long-sleeved Primark tops, bought in 2009, both of me cost me £2.

When I have time, I will take an old garment and try to make something else out of it when I'm done wearing it as it was made. For example, cropping a top and cutting and resewing it with short sleeves; or making shorts out of pants; or making a patchwork of denim pieces into a denim blanket to take to the beach since sand doesn't stick to it; or making a top and a skirt from an old dress.

Most of mine came from an op shop although I found myself buying new these past couple of year. Even though my sewing isn't that great I am trying to reconfigure what I have into new, original pieces. I think the best piece i have is a shaggy cardigan that is probably made from recycled material that is the warmest thing I have. I did notice that one year they had clothes, pants that were way too long one year, and way to short another year. Do you think they are trying to get a message out there. There was a funny episode by the Mighty Boosh that addresses the issue in the naughty's (oo's)

I like that they broken down to smalllest particle and even use it for constructions. I think that this is ingenious. It is not necessarily use for fashion per se, but more to diversity. We still need building, road safety products and computer casing or even table to curtain or airoplane chair thus this is an ultimate solution. This is definitely would be giving promising result if it is being executed properly.

^Very good, informative video. I'm most annoyed by Jeans that have holes in them after a year, mainly between the legs. I mend them, which makes the last another half a year or so. after that I cut them up and make doormats and the like. But we still have far too many. I wish they would last longer, but that would probably ruin the livelihood for many poor people who sew our clothes in Bangladesh and other Asian countries. Still, production just can't go on at this rate.

Buy linen, it grows without irrigation and generally needs no fertilizers or pesticides, but look for organic.

I like to give for recycling my old clothes. I also bring things I don’t use anymore to charity-shops and special boxes in some trading molls. Some clothes and small things the people who rented a room in our apartment and one of my relative in law have stolen, so I prefer to take it like a charity too. Recycling can be a good thing, if people do it by their own will.

It depends mainly on us, as consumers, I would say and how we let the fashion company, celebrities influence us. I am not influencable by those who want to make profit out of it, bacause I just fix my ripped garments and I don´t care about fashion in anyhow. What we look like doesn`t devines us, it`s how we act.

Thanks for good contents. Recycling clothes is important.

I’ve had the same clothes for years and years, most of them bought at thrift stores!

Cool T-shirt dude!

The blame comes from a big part of us the consumer. If we stopped buying so many clothes and wore them longer the manufacturers would produce less. People are the main problem with all pollution wanting something new all the time and never being satisfied with what we have.

I buy almost all of my clothes second hand, but I also like to make my own clothing and I find that recycled fabric is quite hard to find... anyone here has tips on that?

What we need to shift to is a mindset that cheaper clothes are made from recycled fibers and will last a short amount of time. For that to work, the tech has to be widely addopted and get cheap, and virgin fibre made materials will rise in price and psychological value. The production volume also needs to come down…. But then governments need to be ready to buy out companies who invested in textile equipment and have shut down without having reached their net zero or promised profits.

Very sad to hear. When big tech ideas are implemented, they often take years, if not decades, to become profitable. If any. Things that we really need can only be done with regulation. Unfortunately it is and remains that way. As long as long-term profit is paramount, little will change.

I've recently lost 40 pounds and need to purchase all new clothes because nothing fits me any longer. It's been eye-opening to me when I started researching this whole thing. I've always loved buying secondhand because the idea of paying full price seems silly but now I see how important it can be to overconsumption. There are so many ways to find quality clothes that we can wear for a very long time from someone who paid full price first and only kept the garment for a short time.

Very interesting video. Thanks.

The only solution is to buy less. If you need something new, see if a friend or family member has an item to gift or to swap. If that doesnt work try charity and second hand shops. Then only we should consider buying new. Feels like a lot in a fast fashion world but we all need to make an effort in order to make a change

Good luck! I always buy second hand and make rags out of old T shirts

I "got on board" with recycling 30 years ago. But industry has not. Just another bad decision in a long series of poor choices geared toward short term profit, with no concern for the consequences for future generations. We need to "recycle" the corporations. There has got to be something better hidden within all that mess.

We'll be repairing our clothes soon and quilt shirts will be the new normal. I wear my clothes for a long time. Right now I'm wearing my "Randy Rainbow for President 2020" t-shirt and it's my newest shirt.

The reason people buy more and more things is to overcome the emptyness inside. STOP buying 💩! Buy only what you need.

The textile industry has led innovation and the economy for centuries. I see these new forms of recycling as a first step on the qay to matter replicators, Star Trek style. And that's when a lot of society's problems get solved. 🤓

I have no fashion sense either, but I will recycle reuse and mend what I can. Without buying new until it’s necessary. It also saves money in the long run.

If more of this recycle became worldwide activity especially in Thailand where I am then I can feel better buying new clothes for sure.

What I'm most surpriced of, is the fact that the average person care so less of the things they buy. Throughing away new clothing after a year?! I have clothing I still wear there is older then 35 years!!!! And I haven't bought single new piece of clothing in over 15 years! And still I get "new" clothing all the time. How, you may ask? Ask friends and family, neighbors or create exchanging events. Bring what you don't want anymore and take what you want for free! And what is left after the event ends, give it to charity. Such kinds of events can bring locals communities together!❤❤❤

Yes, old clothes can be upcycled by weaving into a new fabric. Been using this to my past projwct for staff uniform by infusing upcycled fabric to thier uniforms.

Those companies produce brand clothes like it's neccesity like food

Have you got any links to fabrics or yarns that are made of 50% recycled fibers? Ifso then please put them in a comment. I am more then happy to buy fabrics and yarns with 50% recycled fibers in them... shoot I'd settle for 25% recycled fibers in my yarns.

Recycling dies not always mean remanufacturing. I try to purchase clothing from Goodwill. Some things are brand new and others are not. Keep in mind what's old becomes new again in the fashion world. Enjoy wearing retro clothing.

We, the consumer base, actually have the power to force manufacturers to make changes just by not buying clothes. I would bet that nearly every adult has a complete wardrobe large enough to not buy any clothing, new or used, for at least 3 years. I'd love to hear from anybody, whether you agree with this, have have a useful criticism or an alternate perspective of my idea.

i dont like buying new clothes i wear mine till they fall part and then some

Is there any source through which I can learn to convert waste into useful materials

I buy most of my clothing used ❤

When you dye your hair 5 times in a row, you don’t expect it to become healthier right… but you do expect it to look different… and you accept the damage you cause willingly to achieve a specific look. Chemical recycling is the same… except no one seems to be willing to pay for a hairdye that makes their hair look like it originally did, but more damaged.

😮 well to honestly answer the question. Because an "endemic" now we look microscopicaly speaking no. Because in the particles of the fabric even after washing it might have bacteria. Not everything can be "recycled" once were honest with ourselves now we can move on. 🎉

They end up in landfill because they are not sold. If companies would sell the not sold clothes for example 3 dollars it would all sell out. But they would rather throw it away...

What is it that people do not understand, producers don't pay taxes, they collect them. The buyers/users of products pay those fines, fees and taxes, they are built into the price.

Which brands are going or using this sustainable method of production.

Natural fibers are still better. Polyester fabric still breaks down into micro-plastics in the wash.

I have clothes from ten years or more ago; that I still treasure and wear. My size hasn't drastically changed. I properly care for my clothes and so I'm not contributing to the problem. Also, I rarely have to buy any clothes, except for undies and socks.

In an ideal world clothes can be recycled and reused, but in this realistic one, even with thrift stores & the like, all clothes that end up not being sold or used get shredded/dumped/ burned someplace. Yes we should all consume less or “make our own clothes” (who has time for that when most of us have jobs, kids, responsibilities, etc?) but even then, whatever doesn’t fit us anymore or has been sitting on depop for far too long winds up in the same place to pollute regardless. Ethical clothing brands exist where their items are made from recycled items or can be compostable, but to shop at said places is a luxury that usually involves spending a large amount of money for all but 3 items, while the rest of your wardrobe falls short. For every person that chooses to consume less are 10 people who will continue to live life as an average consumer. I agree there should be less waste for a cleaner environment & less pollution in poor countries, but I find this topic always tends to be more of a WESTERN heavy issue with influencers being the main villian of the topic, when “consumers buying cheap products made by migrant labor at the demand of greedy corporations” is more global. Think about folks in impoverished countries where cheap clothing is all they can afford & is dumped when they’re no longer needed or have worn out their use. Do THEY get this same lecture? In short, I love this topic about ethical consumption in fashion, it’s a topic that has more nuance & requires deeper discussion than , for example, “SHEIN bad thrift good” but I hate how it’s always reduced to a Western issue, more importantly blaming & guilting the individual western consumers for being able to afford products that were made unethically from greedy corporations, who are the real villains & root of the issue. Until then this discussion will continue to circle the drain bringing out self-righteous children and wealthy people who think ethical fashion/lifestyle/consumption is easy and possible under capitalism, and nothing will get solved.

Wearing a 10 year old long sleeve shirt while watching this video. I wouldn’t wear it going out but I use a lot of my old unwanted clothes for house and sleepwear.

Prirodni materijali ne zagađuju: vuna se raspada a pamuk ako je čist bez dodatka sintetike može da gori kao i drvo. Problem su sintetički materijali, a njih je sve više naročito u zari h&m i sličnim prodajnim lancima.

I liked the original Crow and this one looks like a stylish bloody modern adaptation. I like what I see.

The fashion industry creates the worst waste of otherwise perfectly good clothing no longer worn because “it’s out of style”.

It’s literally not only corporations and their greed, but also the consumers. When I worked at Zara, many customers were complaining or didn’t buy an item only because it had a small stain(which can be washed) or because it had a really small defect which can be fixed if you just take a needle. It’s insane how such things are produced and end up in the landfills/oceans because of people seeking for perfection in everything.

There is a recycle fee when you buy new computers. This fee should be applied to clothing too.

Buying their body weight in clothing? Yes, I bought my kids' body weight in clothing since they were babies. Even buying used, the clothes wear out so fast that they don't last a second toddler-hood. And, the clothes get stained at school. I'm not passing along stained clothes to another parent. (In general, second-hand clothes last longer because they've been tested by another kid. Screen-print doesn't last; embroidered usually does. Pajamas don't last; double-layered jeans do.) Adults look at this "14 items per person" statistic and just use that as a benchmark. Can we dig into this in more detail? What are the ages? Have the clothes disintegrated? Were they freebies given away by companies?

HTC (Hydrothermal Carbonization) can help in getting rid of textile till we find a economically viable manner for textile recycling.