Waste from the global apparel industry leaks about millions of tons of plastic in the environment every year, says a study conducted by the North Carolina State University
As per the study, the global apparel industry generated more than 20 million tons of plastic waste in 2019, with about 40 per cent potentially leaking into the environment, leading to a process known as 'plastic leakage.'
Richard Venditti, Professor -Paper Science and Engineering, NC State and Co-author of the study, notes, a significant portion of the plastic waste leaking into the environment comes from discarded clothes, particularly synthetic apparel. Additionally, waste is generated during manufacturing, packaging, and transportation, as well as from microplastics released into water during washing.
In 2019, synthetic apparel was identified as the largest source of plastic waste, accounting for 18 million tons. Researchers estimated that approximately 8.3 million tons of this waste may have leaked into the environment. Cotton clothing contributed 1.9 million tons of plastic waste, while the remaining 0.31 million tons came from other fibers. Unlike synthetic apparel, the plastic waste from cotton and other fibers primarily originated from packaging materials.
The study also finds that the location of apparel sales is not necessarily where plastic waste leaks into the environment. For apparel sold in high-income countries like the United States and Japan, most pollution occurred in lower-income countries where these clothes might end up in the secondary market. This points to a significant issue with the consumption habits in higher-income countries.
The study concludes by urging the apparel industry to adopt a more circular framework, emphasising recycling and reducing waste. It also recommends increasing the use of renewable, non-synthetic textiles.
The paper, titled ‘The global apparel industry is a significant yet overlooked source of plastic leakage,; appears in the open-access journal Nature Communications. The corresponding author is Anna Kounina of Quantis, with co-authors including Jesse Daystar, Sophie Chalumeau, Jon Devine, Roland Geyer, Steven T Pires, Shreya Uday Sonar, and Julien Boucher.
