For years I have written about sustainability and the need for better “end of life.” For years I have written about the diversion of non-recyclables from an end of life in a landfill or incinerator. In all this time I have never once mentioned textiles, that ubiquitous word that describes a host of structures/
substrates/compositions.   

I have written about Patagonia several times and the legacy that Yvon Chouinard created, only to give it away “to the planet,” the ultimate gift in my view. While Patagonia manufactures outdoor gear, it also supports an environmental ethic of reuse and recycle.  

But what about the larger world of textiles – organic and synthetic? What’s their end of life? What do you do with your old Levis? What do you do with old shirts and pants? What do you do with your old socks?

The fashion industry business model isn’t very environmentally friendly. The damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead – or out with the old and in with the new – attitude isn’t a very ecological story, is it? We get cheap, new style garments from Southeast Asia two to three times a year, which makes us look “in.” But, what do we do with the garments we’ve replaced? What do we do with the by-product? You know what? We throw it away. It goes into municipal solid waste (MSW). 

And guess what? We, the label industry, are compliant, too. We’re part of the problem because every single garment, blouse, shirt, skirt, pants, and so on, every single garment, has at least one label, sometimes two or three. Think about that because by extension, we are part of the problem. Okay, not flexo in most cases. But, there are many companies making labels for garments that end up in the landfill.

I will admit I didn’t think about this until I read the extraordinarily graphic article in National Geographic, “Fashion’s Desert Graveyard,” by John Bartlett, photographed by Tarmaro Marino. It was investigative reporting, shades of Mother Jones, that shocked me. I have been in landfills all over the world – the Philippines, China, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.  I have toured recycling facilities in those and many other geographies, as well. But, I have never seen such massive quantities of one commodity in one location. Unwanted, waste textiles have been shipped from all over the world to Chile’s Atacama Desert.  

The story in National Geographic is an expose of irresponsibility by the host nation, Chile, and by the countries of origin of container after container of unwanted garments. I thought most used/worn textiles were recycled. Not true! Listen up.

The Atacama Desert is in northern Chile. It is big and dry. It is one of the world’s fastest growing dumps of discarded clothes, thanks to the ever-changing world of fashion. The United Nations calls the volume of textile waste “an environmental and social emergency.” Between 2000 and 2014, the production of textile garments doubled as consumers began buying 100% more clothing. The old to the new was cut in half. Think about it: you, me, our children – we’re all part of the problem.  

Three-fifths of everything we’ve bought ends up in a landfill or in Chile! And this is in one year of production. Wow, not too sustainable, is it? According to John Bartlett, numbers translate “to a truckload of used clothing dumped or burned every second.” That sounds a bit dramatic, but the facts support a significant problem for Southeast Asia and Africa. For example, a landfill near Accra, Ghana, is said to be 60% clothes (I haven’t been to this one).

It is now 2025 and industry and countries all over the world are now recognizing that waste, and in particular textile waste, is a problem. The throwaway culture doesn’t work anymore. WWPE (Waste and Waste Packaging Recyclers) in Europe and EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) rules are turning to the producer, the OEM, the manufacturer, to come up with a solution.  

In the case of textiles, that means looking to Levi Strauss, Puma, Coach (leather goods), to name a few, for solutions. The brand owner must redesign or provide an end of life solution for all the products they make. (Hasn’t Patagonia been doing this for years?)  

As Tellis reports, “The fashion industry faces significant challenges in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from traditional materials like cotton, leather, and polyester.” Think about a polyester yarn lying in a Chilean landfill. This just doesn’t make any sense.

Europe, and particularly Sweden, recognize that textile by-product is a huge problem. Sweden says that the fashion industry wants to sell new garments every few months. New styles are presented, which creates demand. I need a new blouse, or new outfit, right? The attraction isn’t just a style change but cheap garments from two Chinese giants, Shein and Temu. Their garments are cheap, but their quality is poor. Use and discard, and the Swedes don’t like this discard mentality. In fact, studies in Sweden indicate that some of these garments may contain hazardous substances. 

Furthermore, the Swedish textile recycling industry doesn’t want these cheap garments from China because their customers refuse to buy product with that source. Obviously, there are several messages here:

1) We have a problem, and it’s global.

2) The dynamic of supply/demand for the fashion industry is long and complicated. It involves brand owners, retailers,
and consumers.

3) We need to look at solutions, both locally and globally.

As an article in Waste Management World Economy states, we need “to turn off the tap!” It will take commitment by the fashion industry, by regional regulation, and by a change in consumer habits. 

As suggested, the original creator of the garment must accept responsibility for what it has created. This is the Lester Brown philosophy and puts the responsibility at the source, not at the point of consumption. I have preached this for years, whether it be pressure sensitive, flexible packaging, regardless, he who makes it must be responsible for an environmentally acceptable end of life. 

Landfills full of textile waste in Chile or Africa must stop.

Another Letter from the Earth

Calvin Frost is chairman of Channeled Resources Group, headquartered in Chicago, the parent company of Maratech International and GMC Coating. His email address is cfrost@channeledresources.com.