AMSTERDAM – With catalytic funding from Laudes Foundation and IDH, Fashion for Good partnered with Reverse Resources, Global Fashion Agenda, Circle Economy, and Accelerating Circularity to launch World of Waste. A free online tool mapping global textile waste hotspots providing aggregated regional data on waste volume, composition, and type, enabling recyclers and innovators to efficiently identify and utilise textile waste resources worldwide.
ADDRESSING THE GAP: THE LACK OF A CENTRALISED GLOBAL TOOL FOR TEXTILE WASTE
The textile sector is under more scrutiny because of the significant volumes of trash it produces annually. The industry has a challenge, but there is also a huge opportunity for openness and circularity because of the ongoing efforts to identify, eliminate, and use trash in order to improve end-of-life practices.
Waste emphasizes the need for action by reflecting a strain on resources, ineffective procedures, and uncontrolled emissions. The industry is also responding to increased regulations by, for example, recycling textile waste as a feedstock to replace the manufacture of virgin fiber. However, data on textile waste is now dispersed across numerous platforms and organizations, making it fragmented. The industry’s capacity to handle and profit from textile waste is hampered by the absence of standardized data and centralized expertise.
With catalytic funding from the Laudes Foundation and IDH, Fashion for Good has teamed up with Reverse Resources, Global Fashion Agenda, Circle Economy, and Accelerating Circularity to address this problem. These organizations actively address various aspects of textile waste and use each other’s extensive knowledge bases and skill sets to develop a tool that compiles the findings of separate studies. Along with links to the original research, this tool offers a summary of data points on waste numbers, types, compositions, and other insights. The platform empowers users of textile waste and stakeholders seeking to expand the industry’s knowledge base by providing details on waste qualities, data collection methods, organizations engaged, and a perspective on planned studies for a region.
We are thrilled to introduce worldofwaste.co, a resource that offers vital information on hotspots for textile waste worldwide. By uniting important industry players, this cooperative endeavor equips recyclers and innovators with knowledge about waste compositions and quantities, facilitating the conversion of trash into useful resources and hastening the transition to a more sustainable and circular fashion sector. — Katrin Ley, Fashion for Good’s managing director
Strategies to valorize trash become more feasible when one considers global hotspots for textile waste and provides links to established resources for each region. For example, by learning more about waste streams and their unique properties, recyclers may plan where to source their feedstock. This information can be used by governments to create well-informed laws and policies that support environmentally friendly waste management techniques. Building relationships between local and global players can aid in resolving practical issues related to the promotion of circularity.
The goal of this first-of-its-kind project is to compile a global database of available textile trash. It will be an essential tool for industry participants, providing a thorough perspective and in-depth analysis to guide business choices. The platform will enable recyclers, brands, and retailers to innovate, streamline operations, and increase efficiency in textile waste management for a more sustainable industry by combining data, opening doors to optimize sourcing and improve the recycling ecosystem. IDH’s Global Director of Textiles and Manufacturing, Pramit Chanda
The key to resolving the growing problem of waste produced throughout the fashion supply chain will be having access to deep data that can precisely identify where and how to intervene. In the end, we are aware that more coordinated and informed efforts by all parties involved will result in more financial and non-financial support for scaling innovations, proactive investments by the industry to change its supply chains, and the development of policies that facilitate the shift to a circular and inclusive fashion sector. – Anita Chester, Laudes Foundation’s head of fashion
Additional nations and trash categories will be added over time to increase coverage. For further usefulness, the expanding database will incorporate policy data and reveal economic and demographic insights. Keep checking back as we expand the platform’s functionality and deepen our comprehension of textile waste.
This project is a big step in creating a fashion sector that is more open, cooperative, and circular. We are tackling the urgent problem of textile waste and maximizing its potential as a resource by bringing together important stakeholders from all areas of the ecosystem. Our goal is to bring about significant change and offer greater clarity as the platform expands by adding additional information and perspectives from other organizations that are evaluating garbage in more recent areas and across various waste categories. By working together, we can create a fashion sector that prioritizes sustainability, cuts waste, and helps create a healthier planet for coming generations.
