Pretty much everyone knows the environmental damage being done by petrol and diesel guzzling cars and the huge power plants that pump almost uncountable tonnes of global warming chemicals into the atmosphere every minute of every day.
We all know well that big tech companies and big concrete makers and big oil-producing nations all do their (un)fair share of damage, and there is no denying that food production and farting cows take their toll on the planet too.
And while you might live for your mini-breaks and summer jaunts to sun-kissed resorts, you do know that when you board planes criss-crossing the world high in the sky you are not making the planet a cooler and more habitable place to be.
But what about that jumper you’re wearing or the pair of jeans you bought last weekend? What about the staggering levels of consumption of clothes that has spiked alarmingly across the developed world in the last two decades?
RM Block
Not as many people are aware of the damage clothes are doing, which may be why Ireland has become so enthralled by fashion – in all its forms – since the turn of the century.
And despite the fact that we already have enough stuff to clothe the next six generations of Irish people, we can’t seem to stop shopping.
So, what damage are we doing?
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The production of textiles generates between 5 and 10 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gases, which is more than air travel and shipping combined. It uses a huge volume of drinking water – enough to hydrate many millions of people. And a lot of the water it does not use ends up being polluted with dyes and chemicals so no one else can use it.
Then there is the endless waste – as much as 100 million tonnes of textile waste is created globally each year.
Now 100 million tonnes is a number so large that it becomes meaningless, so it might help it we break it down.
Ready?
More than 100,000 different pieces of clothing have been burned or binned or dumped somewhere on earth in the time it has taken you to read this sentence.
Despite all of the above, only 31 per cent of Irish people recognised the link between clothes and climate change when polled by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Ireland is the second largest producer of textile waste in Europe after Belgium, consuming 53kg of textiles per capita per annum – more than double the European average. The average garment is worn 40 per cent less than it was 15 years ago and, according to the EPA, 65 per cent of textile waste is disposed of through domestic waste with the rest collected via textile banks and charity shops.
Before the 35 per cent who routinely donate clothes pat themselves on the back, however, they should know that a huge volume of the clothes donated or “recycled” is exported abroad to countries that lack the infrastructure to deal with them.
Globally, it is estimated less than 1 per cent of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new products.
So these are the problems. But what are the solutions?
Earlier this month the European Parliament gave its final green light to new measures to reduce waste from textiles across the EU with the passage of extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation.
Under the new directive, producers that make textiles available in the EU will have to cover the cost of their collection, sorting and recycling, through new producer responsibility schemes to be set up by each member state within 30 months of the directive’s entry into force.
These provisions will apply to all producers, including online sellers, and irrespective of whether they are established in an EU country or outside it.
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The new rules will cover products such as clothing and accessories, hats, footwear, blankets, bed and kitchen linen, and curtains. Even mattresses might eventually be covered.
But while this is obviously a welcome step, it is one that is being taken slowly and it is unlikely to be in force in this country until 2030.
In the meantime there is a another really simple solution. And not only will it save the planet – or at least reduce the rate of global warming – it will also save you money.
And what is that magic solution?
Stop buying.
Derarca Dennis studied psychology at university and is now EY Ireland’s Partner and Sustainability Services lead. What does that mean? It means she thinks an awful lot about how and why we buy, and why we might do well to buy a bit less.
“Part of the challenge of our era is it’s very easy to buy something,” she says. “It’s so accessible and we are making it easier every day of the week as we develop more data platforms and more engagement. There’s nowhere, really, that you’re not exposed to fashion, and people are constantly being targeted by ads based on what they have bought in the past, based on conversations they’ve had with people, all of that stuff, which is quite scary.”
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She says one problem with clothes is “we don’t associate them with environmental damage. And there is an assumption among people that, if they put something into a recycle box or give it to a charity the problem is solved”.
It isn’t.
She acknowledges that not all fashion is created equally and some companies have a smaller environmental impact than others, but no company has no impact.
“Some organisations will definitely have a more eco-friendly footprint, a smaller carbon footprint, and have a better approach to the circular economy, there’s no doubt about that. But I suppose for the general consumer that’s a really hard thing to discern,” she says.
One of the reasons it is so hard is that it requires work and research and – if we are honest – most of us buy most clothes on impulse.
“You can get good information about what you want to buy,” Dennis says. “But the best thing to do is actually buy less. And that’s the really hard message. We have become so focused on consumerism in an Irish context to a level that is extraordinary because we feel we are entitled to it. So by telling people enough is enough and you shouldn’t be buying more, you’re kind of saying, you can’t celebrate your success by being able to buy X, Y or Z.”
But she suggests that maybe before people buy they might ask themselves, “How many days are there in the week? What are you going to be doing? Where are you spending your time? Do you really need to buy five outfits for the one Saturday night on Shein because you are not sure which one you want?”
She says the key message when it comes to clothes is “about saying we all need to live within our boundaries. And that less is actually more. And that applies to us all. Less is actually more, and that by consuming less, actually you have done something great”.
She says, ultimately, it is about saying to people, “Buy differently, buy thoughtfully. Consider what you’re buying. We know you want to buy things. We know you still want to go on a plane on your holidays. We know there’s things that you still want to do, but you don’t need to do it, you know, at every turn.”
