Textile waste is an unavoidable part of life, and learning how to reduce textile waste for businesses is a crucial step in managing this challenge. Due to factors like fast fashion, shifting trends, and worn-out clothes, businesses face the ongoing challenge of managing discarded textiles. For businesses, managing textile waste efficiently has become a critical issue. The environmental impact of this waste is staggering, with around 92 million tonnes of clothing disposed of in landfills every year.
At Greenbank, we’re committed to helping businesses reduce their textile waste, which is why we offer a free waste audit for businesses. By booking an audit, businesses can better understand their waste streams, minimise waste, and start making a meaningful environmental impact.
Quick Navigation
- What is Textile Waste?
- How Much Textile Waste is Produced Each Year?
- How to Reduce Textile Waste as a Business?
- The Benefits of Reducing Clothing Waste
What is Textile Waste?
Textile waste, also known as fabric or clothing waste, includes any kind of unwanted material made from fabric or fibres. For businesses, this waste shows up in many forms, from scraps left over in garment production to old or damaged clothing, household items like sheets and towels, and even industrial textiles used in areas like healthcare and hospitality.
Textile waste can be anything from unsold fast fashion items and excess fabric scraps to worn-out uniforms and stained table linens. With trends changing quickly and the constant need for new materials across industries, businesses are generating more textile waste than ever before. Finding ways to manage and recycle this waste effectively is now more important than ever.
One of the most effective ways to recycle textiles is through a textile baler – something we’ll talk about in more detail later. These machines help businesses compact textile waste, making recycling easier, more efficient, and more sustainable.
How Much Textile Waste is Produced Each Year?
Each year, the fashion industry produces an astonishing 100 billion garments, yet nearly 92 million tonnes are eventually discarded in landfills. If current trends continue, emissions from the apparel industry are expected to double in the next 5 years.
In Europe, the UK ranks among the top producers of textile waste, coming in fourth overall. Studies indicate that the average UK resident throws away roughly 3.1kg of textiles every year, with around 1.7kg of that waste ending up in landfills. For businesses, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity to take action in reducing waste and improving sustainability practices.
How to Reduce Textile Waste as a Business
Recycling textile waste is essential for businesses looking to reduce their environmental footprint and improve sustainability. The first step in recycling textile waste is understanding the types of materials your business is generating. Whether you’re in retail, manufacturing, or hospitality, textile waste can come in many forms, including damaged or unsold stock, fabric scraps, and old uniforms or linens. Once you know what kind of waste you’re dealing with, you can implement strategies to recycle and divert it from landfills.
Here are a few ways businesses can recycle and reduce clothing and textile waste:
Textile Balers for Businesses
Textile balers are powerful machines designed to compress large amounts of textile waste into manageable, uniform bales. This process not only makes it easier to store and transport textile waste but also helps businesses significantly reduce the space needed to store it before recycling. Essentially, these balers help turn bulky, scattered textile waste into compact bundles that are more suitable for recycling or resale.
How Do Textile Balers Work?
These machines use a hydraulic system to apply pressure to textile waste, compacting it into dense bales. The size and weight of the bales can be adjusted depending on the needs of the business, which makes it easy to tailor the process to suit different types of textile waste. Once compacted, these bales can be collected by recycling companies for further processing, helping divert waste from landfills and promoting a circular economy.
If you’d like to learn more about how our textile balers operate and how they could benefit your business, contact Greenbank today.
Which Businesses Can Use Textile Balers?
Various types of businesses can benefit from using textile balers. Retailers with excess or unsold stock, manufacturers with fabric offcuts, laundromats and hospitality industries with worn-out linens, or any business that generates large amounts of textile waste can all use balers to make their recycling efforts more efficient. Not only does this help reduce environmental impact, but it also helps businesses manage waste disposal costs and even create revenue opportunities by selling compacted textiles to recycling companies.
Improve Inventory Management
By accurately predicting demand and streamlining the ordering process, businesses can reduce the amount of unsold stock that ends up as waste. Implementing better forecasting techniques or using data analytics can help prevent overproduction and excess inventory, leading to fewer unsold textile products.
Offer Textile Take-Back Programmes
One of the most effective ways businesses can reduce textile waste is by implementing a textile take-back programme. These schemes encourage customers to return their old clothing or textiles, which can then be collected, recycled, upcycled, or repurposed. By doing so, businesses can close the loop on the lifecycle of textiles and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
Fashion retailers, for instance, can offer incentives like discounts, store credit, or loyalty points in exchange for customers bringing in their used clothing. This not only helps businesses keep textiles out of landfills, but it also encourages customers to be part of the sustainability effort. By creating a circular economy, businesses can promote recycling, upcycling, and reusing materials, which are crucial to reducing the environmental impact of the fashion industry.
This programme works hand-in-hand with a textile baler, which can help businesses efficiently manage and recycle the textiles returned through the take-back scheme.
Examples of successful textile-take-back schemes include H&M’s Garment Collecting Initiative and Patagonia’s Worn Wear Programme.
Use Durable Textile Materials
Encouraging the production of durable, high-quality textiles is a key way businesses can reduce waste. By prioritising robust materials, sustainable fibres, and timeless designs, products are built to last longer, which decreases the need for frequent replacements.
This approach helps counteract the fast fashion cycle, where clothing is discarded after a short lifespan and encourages consumers to invest in pieces that remain functional and desirable for years. Plus, by using sustainable materials, businesses can further reduce their environmental footprint and promote a more circular, eco-friendly approach to fashion.
The Benefits of Reducing Clothing Waste
Reducing clothing waste isn’t just an environmental responsibility – it’s also a smart business decision. By implementing textile waste reduction strategies, businesses can unlock numerous benefits, from cost savings to enhanced reputation.
Cost Savings
Disposing of textile waste can be expensive, especially when materials end up in landfills. By focusing on recycling and repurposing, businesses can reduce disposal costs. Additionally, companies that divert waste into mill-sized bales of recyclable textiles may qualify for rebates, turning waste into a source of revenue!
Improved Brand Image
Today’s consumers are increasingly aware of sustainability issues. Businesses that prioritise reducing waste and adopting circular practices can stand out in the marketplace as responsible and eco-conscious brands. This not only helps attract environmentally-minded consumers but also fosters brand loyalty.
Compliance with Regulations
As governments and municipalities crack down on waste and set higher sustainability standards, businesses that proactively reduce textile waste are more likely to stay ahead of compliance requirements, avoiding potential fines or penalties.
Increased Operational Efficiency
Streamlining textile waste management often leads to more efficient processes. From better inventory management to optimised production techniques, reducing waste helps businesses operate more smoothly and with less overhead.
Positive Environmental Impact
Reducing clothing waste helps lower landfill overflow, reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and conserves valuable natural resources like water and energy. By recycling and reusing textiles, businesses contribute to a cleaner planet and a more sustainable future.
The Bottom Line
Reducing textile waste is not only crucial for the environment but also for businesses looking to improve sustainability and efficiency. From implementing take-back programmes and investing in durable, high-quality products to utilising textile balers and recycling solutions, there are countless ways businesses can minimise waste and reduce their environmental impact. By adopting these strategies, businesses can not only contribute to a circular economy but also lower waste disposal costs and enhance their brand image as eco-conscious leaders.If you want to explore more ways your business can reduce its waste output and become more sustainable, visit Greenbank today. Start cutting waste costs and take the first step toward a greener, more efficient future for your business.
