The circular economy – the idea of “reduce, reuse and recycle” – has long been promoted as one solution to the environmental crisis. Instead of the old “take, make, use, throw away” model, it aims to keep materials in play for as long as possible.
In fashion, this means going well beyond traditional repair habits and shopping secondhand. It entails innovations such as clothing rental platforms, fibre-to-fibre recycling, and AI tools that cut waste in supply chains and sort textiles for recycling.
This sounds like a win-win: less waste, fewer raw materials used, and a lighter footprint on the planet. But in fact, these innovations could end up making things worse.
In our recent study, we found that innovations in the circular economy – especially in the textiles and clothing industry – can trigger what’s called a “backfire rebound effect”. This is where the production and consumption of clothing rises, potentially wiping out any environmental gains. It happens when efficiency improvements lower costs and make products seem more sustainable, tempting consumers to buy more.
This is why I’ve gotten into visible mending. I’m able to scrap clothes that don’t fit/don’t like anymore and use them to keep clothes that I do like much longer.
That definitely seems like the only real option for those that have the means. Do you have any tips to get started for those that are newer to this?
Check your local library for any free sewing classes. I got my sewing machine for ~$100 new from Costco, and have been slowly learning how to do it better. I’ve only been at this for a few months now, but here are some tips:
- When creating a hem use a iron to press the hem down making it easier to pin.
- When pinning I have found that doing just the corners works when making the patch and then I do full pinning when pinning it to the clothing that I’m patching.
- Don’t bother with trying to make the patches blend in with the clothes.
- Double check your placement before you see.
Tools:
- Sewing machine
- Clothes iron
- Pin cushion
- Thread ripper
- Needle threader (nice to have)
- Cloth scissors (nice to have , and only use that pair for cutting cloth/string)
@SteveKLord Jevon’s paradox at play. It’s interesting to see which innovations - like longer lifespan of textiles and repairability - that does work and which ones - like energy efficiencies - that tend to have the opposite effect of people buying more.
That’s definitely applicable. Very astute analysis. It seems more and more evident that “sustainability” is primarily a marketing term that ultimately strengthens consumerism and hinders real and necessary changes.
@SteveKLord It was a word invented by the economists after all. In the age of green washing, we need more specific concepts to sort the wheat from the chaff.
