Recycling and Upcycling are the new mantras for those who want to mitigate their fashion carbon footprint, suggests Seema Mahajan.
We are living in an age where fashion trends of today become passe tomorrow, spurring the fashion-conscious to scoop up the latest offerings at an alarming pace, discarding previously bought clothes barely worn once or twice. This is exactly the sentiment fast fashion exploits, churning out fashion refreshes with lightning speed, perpetuating a mindless and vicious cycle of buy – wear – throw, repeat.
The rate at which garments are discarded today is mindboggling. How many of you pause to consider where our clothes go once discarded? Well, every year, over a million tonne of textile waste gets thrown into landfills, so if you care about our environment and planet, it is time to start doing your bit now. The relentless pursuit of consumerism and fast fashion has fuelled unprecedented growth in the global textile industry, resulting in humongous amounts of discard waste.
Consider this; more than 70 per cent of fast fashion apparel ends up in landfills within a year of purchase, and synthetic garments can take over two hundred years to decompose, significantly contributing to our carbon footprint. Additionally, the fashion industry is the second-largest consumer of water globally, and its greenhouse gas emissions surpass those of shipping and air travel combined. Think about this and the enormity of it will hit you – the greenhouse gas emissions by the global textile industry are greater than those from shipping and international air travel combined!
Did you do a double take here? If yes, I do hope this will lead to better buying habits based on awareness and mindfulness.
This mindfulness is fast gaining ground and a multitude of fashion influencers today are adopting the ‘less is more’ philosophy. The reasons are simple – we have only this planet, so we better stop dumping toxic waste into it mindlessly, and recycling clothes gives them a new identity/life, reducing our waste footprint.
Fast-growing trends of recycle and upcycle are becoming the buzzwords in the fashion circles, giving rise to a whole new breed of fashion influencers inspiring many to adopt this new sustainable fashion movement.
Recycling and upcycling not only have significant environmental benefits but has emerged as a financially viable livelihood option, opening new avenues for small and cottage industries as well as for artisans who produce handcrafted and repurposed goods. It also encourages a circular economy, which leads to long-term sustainability by continually reusing and repurposing materials. Additionally, these practices tend to promote a closer relationship with our clothing. Customers are more inclined to treasure and care for their clothing if they recognise the worth and labour that went into making each item, which breaks the cycle of buy-use-discard.
Recycling and upcycling though growing, still has a long way to go owing to issues like weak consumer knowledge, restricted access to recycling facilities, and industrial-scale problems, which prevent the widespread implementation. To overcome these challenges and evolve as an acceptable way forward by the masses, it needs the buy in and support of all stakeholders involved including customers, policy makers, and fashion businesses.
Small steps make for a significant impact and upcycling can be revolutionary in many ways, ensuring a better minimal-waste future. Reusing your old clothes not only helps the environment, but helps your pocket too, besides ensuring you have a whole collection of statement-making clothes. While the fashion industry may take its time to adopt at a mass scale, you can do it right away. One of the easiest ways of doing this is to get yourself a feature-rich sewing machine (Usha has a whole range of them for you to choose from) that is versatile and will satiate your creative urges whenever you are bitten by the upcycling bug. Bonus includes the release of endorphins as you immerse yourself in this joyful experience, a break from screens, and boredom.
So, what are you waiting for, you should already be in front of your closet picking out what all could do with some upcycling/recycling. Go for it, and you’ll thank us for a lifetime!
About the author:
Seema Mahajan is the President – Studio of Fashion & Craft at Usha International. Usha is a leader in fast moving consumer durables including products like fans, sewing machines, home appliances, and power products. It is a manufacturing, sales, and marketing organisation with a pan-India footprint. There are around 3700 employees working from 16 regional locations. The company has an All India retail presence with 60 company showrooms and logistics supported by 33 warehouses.