Apparel August 2019 Apparel August 2019 issue | Page 95

GOING GREEN
IS UPCYCLING ENOUGH?
Despite the well-intentioned actions of some
apparel companies towards reducing plastic
waste, there are legitimate concerns that
upcycling may not be enough. The fundamental
reality that man-made plastics are mostly
non-biodegradable and continue to embed
themselves into the natural ecosystem, remains.
This impact, spread across decades, is extremely
difficult to roll back as scientists have discovered
that nearly 85 per cent of all man-made plastics
are now littering the ocean and shorelines in the
form of microfibres, a third of which are from
synthetic textiles used in garments. Their small
size makes it nearly impossible to separate them
from the environment, with the majority of these
microfibres contaminating the aquatic food chain
due to their small size.
Additionally, the process of upcycling itself still
requires a significant amount of improvements to
truly become environment-friendly. For example,
plastic bottles that are upcycled into yarn follow
a process that requires PET to be converted into
polyester. This process releases a chemical called
antimony, which is known to be carcinogenic and
leads to numerous respiratory ailments.
The core objective of upcycling apparel can
be considered a step in the right direction but
it may not be enough from the perspective of
THE REAL CHALLENGE FOR
THE APPAREL INDUSTRY,
THUS, IS FINDING NEW
PRODUCTION METHODS,
WHICH MOVE AWAY FROM
PLASTIC-BASED PRODUCTS.
environmental sustainability. Already, the apparel
industry is poised to be responsible for nearly 25
per cent of the total carbon emissions by 2050 as
it relies significantly on freshly produced plastic-
based synthetic materials, which are growing at
about eight per cent annually. The real challenge
for the apparel industry, thus, is finding new
production methods, which move away from
plastic-based products; those that dig deeper
into this enormous problem of plastic waste,
and innovate materials, designs, techniques,
and business models that are just and fair to the
environment. Given the current environmental
stakes—rising sea levels, increasing extreme-
weather events, and growing pollution—the
industry may eventually lose the planet if it carries
on with business as usual.
APPAREL
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August 2019
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