The fashion industry It is one of the most polluting sectors on the planet: it produces until 8 % of global greenhouse gasesand every second is incinerated or discarded in landfills the equivalent of the loading of a truck full of clothing
In Mexico, the situation is not less: in Mexico City are reported 364 tons daily textile waste.
In front of this panorama, LOCAL BRANDS AND EMPRENDINGS They have launched initiatives that seek to transform this challenge into an opportunity through the circular economy.
Large brands: collection programs and circular initiatives
H&M Mexico Drive the program Garment Collecting In all its branches. Accept clothes from any brand for reuse or recycling.
C & A MEXICOin alliance with MX collection, executes the project Reusewhich channels used clothes to donation or industrial recycling.
Inditex/Zara Mexico enable containers in stores that They collect used clothes —It even other brands, “allocating it to social organizations or textile recycling.”
Mexican startups: local innovation at the service of circularity
–MX collection He has avoided that more than one million kilos of clothing end up in landfills, through collection and channeling for donation or recycling.
-NUCYCLES Transforms industrial textile waste into new garments, reducing water and energy consumption in production.
-Texinova It operates as an industrial recycling center, recovering fibers for reuse in various applications.
5 forms (according to the UN) to reduce fashion waste
He United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) stands out Five key actions To combat the fashion waste crisis:
1. Build a more circular industry: Reduce the volume of production and design lasting, recyclable and sustainable materials. Thus the clothes and their subjects are kept in use for a longer time
2. Improve fabric recycling: Currently only 1 % of the fibers come from recycled material. Infrastructure is needed for textile collection and the implementation of extended responsibility models of the producer (EPR)
3. Eliminate chemicals hazardous of clothing: The industry uses more than 15,000 substances, many toxic and persistent. Regulating its use and opting for green chemistry is essential to protect the environment and facilitate recycling
4. Change the “new is better” narrative: Between 2000 and 2015 the production of clothing doubled but the frequency with which each garment was used fell 36 %. UN calls the industry to promote messages that value prolonged use
5. Buy less, buy better: Prefer quality garments, repair, reuse, rent or exchange. If it is necessary to acquire something new, choose sustainable and long -lasting brands
These recommendations guide both brands and consumers in transit to a fashion with less waste.
Scalability, culture and regulation: pending challenges
Despite the advances, regulatory incentives, adequate infrastructure for recycling and clear information for the consumer are still missing.
In April of this year, he appeared at the Chamber of Deputies A proposal to reform the General Law for the Prevention and Integral Management of Waste (LGPGGI). The objective:
- Include textile waste as a special management category.
- Force manufacturers, distributors and importers to develop comprehensive management plans.
Although the initiative is still in commissionsopen the door to a national frame that regulates clothes as a residue with specific treatment.
Finally, on June 17, the Environment Commission of the capital Congress approved an opinion to modify the solid waste law of the CDMX, with a focus on rapid fashion or Fast Fashion. This reform raises:
- That the Sedema implements collection, treatment, recycling and clothing reuse programs.
- Establish citizen awareness campaigns on responsible consumption.
- Incorporate the responsibility of large generators and brands in the life cycle of the garments.
