Waste reduction
Waste Reduction in the fashion domain refers to the implementation of strategies and practices aimed at minimizing the generation of waste throughout the entire lifecycle of fashion products. It involves conscious efforts to reduce, reuse, recycle, and repurpose materials and resources in order to minimize environmental impact and promote sustainability.
Waste reduction is crucial due to its significant contribution to environmental degradation. The production of clothing involves the extraction of raw materials, energy-intensive manufacturing processes, and the disposal of unused or discarded items. This results in substantial waste generation, including textile scraps, production leftovers, unsold inventory, and post-user waste.
To address these challenges, waste reduction initiatives adopt various approaches and principles:
Sustainable design
Waste reduction begins at the design stage by integrating sustainable practices. Designers focus on creating products with longevity, durability, and versatility to minimize the need for frequent replacements. They also consider using materials that are recyclable, biodegradable, or made from recycled sources.
Efficient production processes
Manufacturers employ lean production techniques and technologies to optimize material usage, minimize production waste, and enhance efficiency. These include implementing just-in-time manufacturing, reducing overproduction, and adopting advanced cutting and pattern-making techniques to minimize fabric waste.
Recycling and upcycling
Waste reduction involves the recycling and upcycling of textile waste and discarded garments. Recycling refers to the process of converting textile waste into new fibers or products, while upcycling involves transforming waste materials into higher-value products. Both approaches help divert waste from landfills and promote the circular economy by reintroducing materials back into the production cycle.
Extended producer responsibility (EPR)
EPR is a waste management concept where manufacturers take responsibility for the environmental impact of their products throughout their lifecycle. It involves implementing strategies such as product take-back programs, designing for disassembly, and ensuring proper end-of-life treatment to minimize waste and facilitate recycling.
User awareness and education
Encouraging users to make conscious purchasing decisions and adopt sustainable fashion practices is vital for waste reduction. Brands and organizations promote awareness campaigns, provide information on responsible consumption, and educate users on the importance of recycling, repairing, and donating clothing to minimize waste.
Case studies
tonlé – Zero-waste production and Conscious Assembly
tonlé is a Cambodia-based fashion brand built around zero-waste design, using pre-consumer remnants, cutting-room scraps, and post-use textiles as primary inputs. Patterns are engineered to eliminate cutting waste, and any remaining offcuts are down-cycled into yarns or smaller products, drastically reducing landfill-bound textile waste while supporting small-scale local production.
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Mud Jeans – Lease A Jeans and circular denim
Mud Jeans operates a “Lease A Jeans” model in which users lease jeans, return them at end-of-use, and the company then remanufactures, remends, or recycles the denim fiber into new products. By designing jeans for disassembly and fibre-to-fibre recycling, Mud Jeans reduces both pre-consumer production waste and post-use landfill, demonstrating a circular, waste-minimising denim system.
Project link
Reformation – Material efficiency and deadstock utilisation
Reformation integrates waste reduction throughout its value chain by prioritising deadstock fabrics, recycled materials, and resource-efficient cutting and production practices. Through its RefScale impact tracking and design guidelines, the brand actively measures and reduces cutting waste and overproduction, aligning product development with quantified waste and impact reduction targets.
Project link
Patagonia – Worn Wear repair and reuse program
Patagonia’s Worn Wear program enables users to repair, resell, and buy used Patagonia garments, extending product lifetimes and diverting textiles from landfill. Centralised repair services and authenticated resale reduce post-use waste while feeding empirical insights about failure points back into design, supporting more durable and repairable future products.
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Nudie Jeans – Repair, Reuse and Recycle
Nudie Jeans runs an extensive network of “Repair Shops” and mobile repair services that mend jeans for free, encouraging users to keep garments in circulation longer. Returned or unrepairable jeans are either resold as Re-use or down-cycled into new products, forming an integrated repair–reuse–recycle system that significantly reduces denim waste across the value chain.
Project link
References
Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020). The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1(4), 189–200. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9
Rotimi, J. O. B., Heywood, C. A., & Verbitsky, J. (2021). Towards a conceptual framework of sustainable practices of post-consumer textile waste at garment end of lifecycle. Sustainability, 13(5), 2965. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052965
Lee, J.-Y. (2023). A dual strategy for textile and fashion production using clothing waste: Combining creative design and sustainable practice. Sustainability, 15(15), 11509. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511509
McQueen, R. H., Moran, L. J., & Diddi, S. (2022). Frugality, style longevity and garment repair: Environmental attitudes and consumption behaviour. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 15(3), 353–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2022.2072958
Sandin, G., & Peters, G. M. (2018). Environmental impact of textile reuse and recycling – A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 184, 353–365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.266