A recent study by the Boston Consulting Group highlights the issue of #textile#waste that has grown to gigantic proportions. The world discards 120 million metric tons of clothes annually, with this number expected to hit 150 million by 2030.
The report estimates that only about 12% of discarded apparel is being reused, and while 7% is recyclable, only a miniscule part of this already small share goes through the process of textile-to-textile recycling.
Describing the value chain and its bottlenecks, BCG outlines the key barriers before collection:
1) limited infrastructure
2) limited mandate for postconsumer collection
3) inconvenient systems and low consumer awareness
At Green Team, we are actively pushing to improve on points 1) and 3). Our expanding network of bins across the US brings collection points closer to people who would like to discard their clothes sustainably. We believe in the impact of #reuse and focus our efforts on facilitating this solution.
Luckily, we are witnessing legislative momentum on point 2) as well - more states are drafting bills to mandate textile collection. While such intentions sometimes lack clarity and come into conflict with lower level regulations, we are optimistic about the future. Textile waste is being recognized as the environmental challenge it is, and more people are demanding bold action to address it.
