Clothing Retailers: An Opportunity for Positive Change

Diverting textiles from landfills is increasingly becoming a top-of-mind concern for clothing manufacturers and retailers alike. In the face of legislative changes, consumers are more aware of the environmental impact of their clothing choices. The fashion industry generates around 92 million tons of textile waste each year, which not only clogs up landfills, but also contributes to pollution and carbon emissions.

Retailers have a vital role to play in reducing this waste and promoting sustainable practices. Practically speaking, how can retailers keep textiles away from the landfill? Here are three easy ways clothing retailers can create positive change for the environment:

1. Implement a take-back program and collect textiles in person at your retail locations.

It's critical to have a game plan for the collection of excess textiles. More importantly, have a plan for what to do with the textiles when you have them in hand. Retailers can spur the purchase of new items by incentivizing the return of worn clothing, creating a virtuous cycle of purchase and recycling. Once collected, we recommend minimizing miles traveled and finding a sustainable destination close-by to the source. Holding textile collection events is a tangible way to engage with customers and the community they do business within.

2. Create new clothing out of sustainable materials, such as recycled polyester.

For instance, some of our end-of-life partners take used textiles and transform them into new raw material to create virgin fabric. Additionally, consider using more sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton or hemp to minimize the environmental impact.

3. Find creative uses for unsold clothing.

A clothing company’s brand is core to its value in the market and to its customers. Sending unsold clothing to discount retailers isn't a strategy that all brands want to pursue. Shipping textiles halfway around the world isn't the most sustainable or cost-effective option for managing waste. There can be solutions right in your backyard. For example, one retailer had 10,000 pounds of rejected denim and no idea what to do with it. There are sources who can repurpose denim into teddy bears, giving life to that material and to the hundreds of thousands of gallons of water that went into producing the raw material. Not to mention, putting a smile on a child’s face all while giving those jeans a second life.

Upcycling clothing like this can take on many forms beyond teddy bears. Old clothes can be turned into bags, belts, hats and so much more or cut up and stitched back into dresses, shirts or jackets.

One of the  biggest obstacles for brands starting their sustainability journey is that they don’t know where to begin. It's critical to find bespoke sustainability strategies to sustainably divert usable materials away from landfills. There's no one-size-fits-all approach. In order to be successful, the approach must be both financially and environmentally responsible. At a time when consumers are increasingly conscious of where they direct their dollars, brands should showcase the efforts they're putting in to achieve sustainable outcomes and encourage other companies to do the same.

Sam Scoten is the CEO and co-founder of CheckSammy, a sustainability startup and the largest junk hauler in North America.