Zero-waste fashion

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Zero-waste fashion refers to a fashion design strategy that generates little or no textile waste during the production process particularly focusing on the pattern making and cutting stages.[1][2][3][4] Zero-waste fashion strategies can be collected under two general approaches: pre-consumer zero-waste fashion, which eliminates waste during manufacture, and post-consumer zero-waste fashion, which generates clothing from existing materials such as second-hand clothing[5] and elements or textiles made from other discarded consumer products. Historically, zero-waste designs have been utilised in folk clothing, including the kimono, sari, and chiton, among others.[6]

Pre-consumer zero-waste fashion[edit]

Pre-consumer waste is the waste that is created primarily by the fashion industry, during the fibre, yarn, fabric, and garment manufacturing processes and includes unsuitable fibres, remnants, trimmings, cutoffs, and scraps of unsuitable quality. This waste consists of fibres, chemicals, dyes, and finishes that are ideal for recycling. Secondary pre-consumer waste consists of unsold finished stock of garments and other fabric items like curtains and bedding.[7]

Zero-waste pattern design[edit]

In zero-waste pattern design, the designer creates a garment through the pattern-cutting process, working only within the space allotted by the fabric width.[2] This approach directly influences the design of the final garment, as the pattern-cutting process is a primary design step. Alternatively, zero-waste manufacturing is an approach that aims to eliminate textile waste without modifying garment patterns. This approach allows garments and fabric to be fully used with no fabric wasted.[8]

Gradable zero-waste apparel design[edit]

The Carrico Zero-waste Banded Grading technique is one proposed solution that utilizes bands to cut patterns without wasting textiles. In this technique, carefully planned seam placements grow or shrink allowing sizing of the clothing item up or down to create three different sizes of a garment. After conducting the study, they found that the technique was successful at creating one- or two-piece items. Some issues with this practice include the proportion of the differently sized garments and inconsistencies in seam allowances.[9]

Differences from standard fashion production[edit]

A standard garment production process may begin with a drawing of the desired garment, a pattern is then generated to achieve this design, a marker is made to most efficiently use the fabric, and the pattern pieces are then cut from the cloth, sewn, packed, and distributed to retailers. Standard garment production generates an average of 15% textile waste.[10]

Post-consumer zero-waste fashion[edit]

An example of post-consumer zero-waste fashion, this 'Storybook gown' is constructed of recycled and discarded children's books.
Fashion and Wellness shows a "Model showcasing a dress made out bulletin newspapers, this is an attempt towards clearing the environment and keeping it clean". This is from the theme "Health and wellness in Africa."
Fashion and Wellness shows a "Model showcasing a dress made out bulletin newspapers, this is an attempt towards clearing the environment and keeping it clean". This is from the theme "Health and wellness in Africa."

Post-consumer zero-waste fashion can also include used and discarded garments. Less than one third of discarded garments are resold as post-consumer recycled (PCR) clothing. In 2018 1.5 million tons of discarded clothing was sold by the EU to Asian and African countries,[11] competing with local garment producers in those countries.[12] Over two-thirds of discarded garments that are not incinerated, are either torn and used as wiping rags, or stripped down to extract yarn or fibres[13] The fibres, post-consumer recycled (PCR) textles,[14] remain in a closed loop where the recycling results in the manufacture of the same type of product: garments.[15]

In an open loop, other types of discarded consumer goods are recycled to create zero-waste fashion. One example is rPET bottles, which are processed to extract polyester fibre used in the production of garments.[16][15] Other examples of recycled consumer products not related to fashion that are used to create zero-waste fashion are old books, newspapers, plastics, and shopping bags.

Waste elimination hierarchy[edit]

The waste hierarchy consists of the three 'R's' - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - in order of impact. Zero-waste fashion design reduces or even eliminates pre-consumer textile waste. However, it does not necessarily address waste created during the use life and disposal phase of the garment's life cycle.

During textile production, many pollutants are emitted into the environment. The textile and apparel industry are some of the most polluting, and both have a low recycling rate of about 15%. Zero-waste fashion design could significantly reduce gaseous emissions during the production process and help to reuse material waste.[17]

Notable contributions[edit]

  • Dorothy K. Burnham: Cut My Cote, (1973)[18] was a seminal text that summarized decades of Burnham's research into cuts of traditional dress, and the influence of weave on costume cut.
  • Madeleine Vionnet's design approach aligns well with zero-waste fashion design; many of her garments had minimal waste.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Rosenbloom, Stephanie (13 August 2010). "The New York Times". Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  2. ^ a b Gwilt, Alison, and Timo Rissanen. Shaping Sustainable Fashion: Changing the Way We Make and Use Clothes. Earthscan Publications Ltd., 2011.
  3. ^ Hethorn, Janet, and Connie Ulasewicz. 2008. Sustainable Fashion: Why Now?: A Conversation Exploring Issues, Practices, and Possibilities. 1st ed. Fairchild Publications
  4. ^ "Using design practice to negotiate the awkward space between sustainability and fashion consumption". mro.massey.ac.nz. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  5. ^ Wang, Youjiang (2006). Recycling in textiles. Woodhead publishing.
  6. ^ Rissanen, Timo. "From 15% to 0: Investigating the creation of fashion without the creation of fabric waste" (PDF). BUGIstudio. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 21, 2006.
  7. ^ Eppinger, Elisabeth (2022-12-09). "Recycling technologies for enabling sustainability transitions of the fashion industry: status quo and avenues for increasing post-consumer waste recycling". Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy. 18 (1): 114–128. Bibcode:2022SSPP...18..114E. doi:10.1080/15487733.2022.2027122. ISSN 1548-7733.
  8. ^ Gupta, Lotika; Kaur Saini, Harminder (2020-06-22). "Achieving Sustainability through Zero Waste Fashion-A Review". Current World Environment. 15 (2): 154–162. doi:10.12944/CWE.15.2.02.
  9. ^ Carrico, Melanie; Dragoo, Sheri L.; McKinney, Ellen; Stannard, Casey; Moretz, Colleen; Rougeaux-Burnes, Ashley (1 January 2022). "An inquiry into Gradable Zero-Waste Apparel Design". Sustainability. 14 (1): 452. doi:10.3390/su14010452. hdl:2346/92575.
  10. ^ ABERNATHY, F. H., DUNLOP, J. T., HAMMOND, J. H. & WEIL, D. (1999) A stitch in time. Lean retailing and the transformation of manufacturing - Lessons from the apparel and textile industries, New York & Oxford, Oxford University Press.
  11. ^ Coscieme, Luca; Manshoven, Saskia; Gillabel, Jeroen; Grossi, Francesca; Mortensen, Lars F. (2022-06-15). "A framework of circular business models for fashion and textiles: the role of business-model, technical, and social innovation". Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy. 18 (1): 451–462. Bibcode:2022SSPP...18..451C. doi:10.1080/15487733.2022.2083792. ISSN 1548-7733.
  12. ^ Brooks, Andrew; Simon, David (2012-09-17). "Unravelling the Relationships between Used-Clothing Imports and the Decline of African Clothing Industries". Development and Change. 43 (6): 1265–1290. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7660.2012.01797.x. ISSN 0012-155X.
  13. ^ Shirvanimoghaddam, Kamyar; Motamed, Bahareh; Ramakrishna, Seeram; Naebe, Minoo (2020-05-20). "Death by waste: Fashion and textile circular economy case". Science of the Total Environment. 718: 137317. Bibcode:2020ScTEn.718m7317S. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137317. ISSN 0048-9697. PMID 32088483.
  14. ^ Young, Carol; Jirousek, Charlotte; Ashdown, Susan (January 2004). "Undesigned: A Study in Sustainable Design of Apparel Using Post-Consumer Recycled Clothing". Clothing and Textiles Research Journal. 22 (1–2): 61–68. doi:10.1177/0887302x0402200108. ISSN 0887-302X.
  15. ^ a b Palme, Anna (2016). Recycling of cotton textiles: Characterization, pretreatment, and purification. Sweden: Chalmers Tekniska Hogskola.
  16. ^ Park, Sang Ho; Kim, Seong Hun (2014-07-01). "Poly (ethylene terephthalate) recycling for high value added textiles". Fashion and Textiles. 1 (1): 1. doi:10.1186/s40691-014-0001-x. ISSN 2198-0802.
  17. ^ Stanescu, Michaela (2021). "State of the art of post-consumer textile waste upcycling to reach the zero waste milestone". Environmental Science and Pollution Research International. 28 (12): 14253–14270. Bibcode:2021ESPR...2814253S. doi:10.1007/s11356-021-12416-9. PMID 33515405. S2CID 231746977.
  18. ^ Burnham, Dorothy K. (1973). Cut my Cote. Ontario: Royal Ontario Museum.
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