Clothing Production: It Must Change Completely and Extremely Quickly

Clothing has evolved significantly over the past decades, shifting from protective and virtuous to stylish and cheap. We now buy things because we like them and they are not too expensive, but whether we actually need them remains a question.

Reg’s grandfather was a tailor and found it quite normal for people to return after five years to have their suit refurbished. This was possible back then due to the quality of the materials, but people only paid half the price because they had already paid for the fabric; however, twice as many hours were spent on the refurbishment. Now, seventy years later, most clothing makers don’t even know what refurbishment is.

The relationship between quality and price has shifted and overshot the mark. Lower prices have led to larger volumes. But there are limits to growth, as the Club of Rome wrote in 1972, which is half a century ago. Besides the consumer’s spending budget, it is also determined by the waste mountain and the fact that we now only use fossil, man-made, or cultivated materials once.

On average, a Dutch person throws away 17 pieces of clothing each year. Fortunately, 8 go to collectors, but that still means 9 end up in the trash and are immediately incinerated. Of the 8 pieces collected, 70% are resold, and 30% also ends up in the incinerator.

The European Green Deal guideline assumes that by 2050 we will be fully circular, with all clothing becoming clothing again. The Netherlands is slightly ahead, with the UPV (Extended Producer Responsibility) aiming for 30% circularity by 2025. This is not just talk but a serious commitment from industry and retail representatives. Currently, it’s at 1%, so we have one year to achieve an additional 29%!

Why magic? For years, there was no reason to make anything circular, except for a few special but small-scale projects. Clothing was designed with the idea that it should be primarily beautiful and soft—sky was the limit. Thus, yarns and fabrics were created in combinations of cotton, wool, viscose, polyester, and polyamide—beautiful materials but anything but circular. Additionally, materials like cotton, wool, and viscose are not circular at the moment. It is often said that this is coming, but no date has been set.

Furthermore, collecting clothing seems to be no problem, but sorting it is. The collectors’ association has already indicated that they face financial shortages, especially in the long term. Large collectors are focused on resale, which is visually oriented. Involved individuals have no idea about the underlying qualities; more than just a professional eye is needed for this. There is a machine that can make the selection, but then the question is who can recycle it back into raw material for clothing?

Polyester seems to be the only material that can be converted 100% back into polyester yarn and is also easy to manipulate for innovative and sustainable improvements. It is an excellent material to start a large-scale trial with, as polyester, along with cotton, is the most used fabric in clothing. However, there is resistance to polyester; it is seen as plastic and polluting to land, water, and air due to microplastics. The first point is easy to refute; significant developments have been made towards a functional material with excellent wearing comfort—you just need to be willing to try it. Regarding microplastics as part of microfibers, The Microfibre Consortium has found that the majority of shedding comes from cotton, which, once dyed, does not break down and is found in the world’s oceans, the North and South Poles, and even in our lungs. Is there a rabbit out of the hat? Greenwashing and brainwashing are now intertwined. Brainwashing makes lies somewhat true.

When talking about circularity, polyester is by far the best option and can be implemented quickly. With the 2025 goal of 30%, action must be taken immediately. At the drawing table, only mono-fabrics with functionality as a sustainable alternative should be used. This requires a different way of working and thinking, starting at the design table. Designers must creatively handle their choices beyond trends. Choices from the past, focusing on cheap and trendy, need to shift to sustainable and responsible mono-materials. A new mindset with a great result—the salvation for the industry and the future for many others. The earth-killing elephant must leave the room.

Reg Nelemans
Entrepreneur in Sustainable Clothing