The article discusses the substantial waste problem in the fashion industry, highlighting that many donated clothes still end up in landfills or are exported to the Global South. The average American discards about 81 pounds of clothing yearly, generating nearly 13 million tons of textile waste, with only 13% being recycled. The author, a sustainability graduate student and fashion production manager, shares the conflict of working within a growth-driven industry that prioritizes sales while neglecting the destruction caused by improperly managed textile waste, emphasizing the urgent need for solutions in addressing this cycle of waste.
Fashion's waste problem is exacerbated by a system that emphasizes growth, leading to a staggering amount of discarded clothing that ultimately ends up in landfills.
Despite efforts to donate used clothing, only a small fraction is recycled, with the majority of textile waste still contributing to environmental harm.
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