Zero Waste Day
With Waste Action Maleny
March 30th was International Day of Zero Waste.
This year’s theme was ‘Towards Zero Waste in Fashion and Textiles.’
Research shows that global clothing production has more than doubled since 2000, but the quality of garments has greatly decreased. No doubt you’ve seen companies such as Temu and Shein flooding the market with ‘fast fashion’ cheap clothing; unfortunately, much of it is such poor quality that it can’t even be sold in Op Shops.
Huge amounts of unwanted clothing and textiles are being thrown out, with the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothing being incinerated or sent to a landfill every second worldwide.
The pollution from the production and disposal of fashion and textiles is threatening our environment and health, and it costs the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year.
How can we reduce our clothing and textile waste?
- Only buy what you need
- Buy quality clothing rather than quantity (even if it’s cheap)
- Mend your clothes to extend their life
- Buy secondhand (once again, only buy what you need)
- Have clothing swaps with friends or the community.
