After use, textiles are mostly disposed of in used clothes collections or household waste. This means that after a few cycles of reuse, they either land in the waste incineration plant, on a landfill site or as waste in our environment. Less than 1% of textiles are currently recycled into textiles again. Valuable raw materials are lost.
Energy-intensive refining processes release chemicals during production, polluting our oceans, air and soil. During their use phase, microfibres are released, which turn into microplastic in domestic waters and accumulate in the soil. Utilizing 60% synthetic fibres, the textile industry is the third largest processor of plastics, outpaced only by the construction sector and the packaging industry.
In times of fierce climate protection debates and an increased awareness of the shortage of resources, the textile industry has become a target of criticism. The supply chains focusing on fast fashion continue to drive forward this negative trend, thus continuing to play a persistent role in the problematic raw material and climate situation.