Today’s vibrant world of fashion and trendy garments masks an underlying issue of fabric waste. Every day, the ever-expanding textile industry produces mountains of fabric scraps. The longstanding issue is more than just an aesthetic one; it also has many repercussions for our everyday lives as well as the environment. Every year, the clothing industry creates staggering amounts of fabric waste that have detrimental effects to the environment and on human life. Through innovative solutions, the crisis can be turned into a more clean and sustainable model. The article discusses the intelligent strategies that can be used to reduce waste fabric in the clothing industry.
Textile and apparel is an important sector of global economic activity, creating jobs and boosting growth. The textile and apparel industry is often labelled as one of the worst for the environment despite its many benefits. Fabrics are produced and consumed by textile manufacturers, which leads to a lot of waste. In order to combat this problem, many companies within the textile industry have developed action plans that aim at reducing their carbon footprint. In this article, we will discuss key strategies, such as recycling and repurposing materials.
Garment Industry Waste
The cutting process in the apparel industry is notorious for generating significant waste before the consumer. This waste is primarily caused by inefficient cutting, low marker effectiveness, and poor fabric utilization. The adoption of computer-aided designing (CAD) and standardised cutting processes can reduce the waste generated by reducing it.
In the textiles and clothing industry, waste can be divided in two categories. These are pre-consumer (pre-production) and post consumer (post-consumer). The factory produces pre-consumer material during the production process. Selvages from fabrics, left-over fabric scraps as well as finishing and sewing waste such as defective garments or damaged items are included in this waste type. Post-consumer textile waste includes items such as used clothing, sheets, towels, furniture, carpets and rugs.
The technological advances are offering new ways to combat this problem. FabScrap is one of the companies that collects fabric scraps directly from manufacturers. The collected fabric waste is sold on to quilters and designers, which helps create more efficient systems for fabric sourcing. The initiative benefits smaller designers that work with a variety of projects, and who are willing to experiment. Such initiatives, by contributing to the waste reduction cycle, not only encourage sustainability but provide an economic model that is viable for waste management within the textile industry.1.
Wastage in Textile and Apparel Industry
Fabric wastage is a major problem in the apparel and textile industry. These areas can be reduced by reducing fabric wastage.2.
• Techniques and processes for fabric manufacturing
• It is possible to wet process The techniques of adolescent development
• Cutting department waste of fabric
• Fabric wastage at the sewing department
• Special operations and finishing Department
• Accessories department
• Material Handling and Issues
Let’s discuss these areas one by one.
• Techniques and processes for fabric manufacturing
Textile industry uses different manufacturing methods to create various textiles and fabrics. Two traditional methods, weaving and knitting, are the most important. The waste generated by these processes is different. Knitting has a number of waste problems. They include waste yarns on cones and yarn residues inside the tubes of knitting machines, defects in fabric, difficulties in producing rolls of fabric, as well as other types that are not related to textiles. Similar waste categories are also found in weaving. They are produced during warping, sizing and weft-winding processes. Waste types are similar to those of knitting, including yarn remnants on cones and problems during warping. They also include complications in weaving and fabric rolls, as well as other wastes that have nothing to do with textiles.
• The Wet Processing Technique
Wet fabric processing is considered to be one of the most crucial and important steps in fabric production. The wet processing of fabric includes the following sub-processes:
• Re-sizing fabric
• Fabric Scouring
• Bleaching of fabrics
• Process of merchandising
• Heat-setting of fabrics
• The dyeing of fabrics
• Fabric Printing
• Fabric finishing
• Other heat setting
Textile industry wet-processing techniques contribute significantly to fabric loss. This loss can be caused by a number of things, like lead cloth, the joints at fabric ends and the waste produced from test samples. In addition, defects that are not reversible, such as holes, stains and oil marks on fabric, or patches with lot markings, add to overall waste. These defects can be the result of poor management at the stage of wet processing.
It is crucial to differentiate between fabric wastage and fabric properties that may lead to a reduction in available material but are not technically ‘waste’. The shrinkage of fabric during wet-processing is an important factor in the overall shortage of fabric. But shrinkage should not be considered waste. Instead, it’s an intrinsic property of fabric which needs to managed in order to reduce its impact.
Understanding and managing the complexities of these industries is vital to reducing waste in textiles and clothing and encouraging sustainability. These types of waste can be reduced by implementing strategies such as effective inventory management, process optimization, and quality control.
• Cutting department waste of fabric
The cutting stage is critical in planning apparel production. A significant amount of fabric is wasted at this stage. However, the overall percentage of fabric wastage during cutting depends on several factors, including marker efficiency, marker planning, the garment’s style, and the fabric’s weave. The apparel and textile industries are heavily reliant on marker efficiency. This is the ratio between total fabric area and total pattern area. It’s usually expressed as a percent. It is highly efficient if the marker efficiency exceeds 85 percent, resulting in a waste reduction of under 10-15%.
If a fabric is marked at 89 percent, there will be 11 percent fabric waste. The waste is due to a number of factors including excess lay length or width, bad alignment, excessive overlapping, tailing and substandard cutting methods. The amount of waste can increase when bundling or sorting panels. This is especially true when there are fused edges or frayed ends, as well as when the cutting standards used to cut them are poor. Focusing on the cutting standards, and taking into consideration factors that influence fabric cutting can help maximise fabric usage and minimise wastage.
• Fabric waste is a problem in the sewing industry
The main cause of wastage in the clothing industry is sewing errors. It results in defective items that do not meet required standards. This includes issues with the stitching of garments, errors in seaming, difficult ironing, and inferior workmanship. This type of wastage is commonly known as ‘rejection’. In addressing this problem, we are able to reduce fabric waste and sewing defects. Fabric waste that is reused or reutilized can be used to reduce costs at various stages in the apparel production process.
• Special Operations Department and Finishing Department
When creating garments in the apparel industry, clients often ask for special work such as embroidering, certain sequences of operations, smocking, application of specific garment washing techniques and adding distinctive finishing touches. In the course of these processes, fabric is damaged to a certain extent, leading to fabric waste.
• Accessories department
Clothing manufacturing requires a variety of accessories, which are usually divided into two categories: packing and production accessories. Production accessories include those that are used during garment sewing or finishing. This includes the main label and wash care labels, decorative buttons, zippers, sequences, and decorative appliques. Improper handling and poor inventory management can increase the amount of waste. Some special accessories are imported because they cannot be found on the local market. The garment production process is also prone to problems, such as defects and waste.
• The handling of materials
According to the previous paragraph, waste generation is influenced by how much material is handled in different departments within the clothing industry. Material handling is not limited to primary raw material but includes a wide range of other materials that are used for specific manufacturing processes in various sections.
Inadequate material handling, for example, can lead to costly chemicals and dyes seeping onto fabric during wet processing. This can lead to substantial financial losses and a detrimental impact on the final product’s quality. The use of traditional equipment and machinery can improve the fabric handling process without impacting fabric quality. Implementing modern material handling techniques and standards will reduce fabric damages and wastage, and ultimately fabric waste.
The Benefits of Reducing Fabric Waste
1. Environmental Preservation: Reduced fabric waste helps to conserve natural resources and reduces pollution. It also minimises environmental impacts of the fashion industry.
2. Cost savings: The reduction of waste in clothing manufacturing reduces production costs and increases efficiency. Profitability is also improved.
3. Resource Efficiency: The efficient use of fabrics minimises waste and ensures the sustainable and wise use of resources.
4. Innovation Opportunities: Manufacturers are encouraged to be innovative in the production process by a focus on reducing waste. This leads to eco-friendly and creative solutions.
5. The Ethical Conduct of Business: The promotion of waste reduction is aligned with ethical manufacturing.
6. Quality Improvements: The reduction of fabric waste will improve quality control. This can lead to less defects in clothing products.
7. Long-term Sustainability: In the end, efforts to reduce waste contribute to long-term resilience and sustainability of organizations.
The conclusion of the article is:
Textile and apparel waste poses a huge challenge to the industry, with implications that are far reaching for society and the environment. The textile and garment industry is a major contributor to global economic growth, but it also faces criticism for its impact on the environment, which includes high waste levels. However, there are solutions for the textile and garment industry. This article explores how the supply chain of textiles and apparel, from manufacturing to the post-consumer stage, offers multiple opportunities for innovation and waste reduction.
Achieving a waste-free environment is more than just environmental responsibility. It impacts the industry’s economic efficiency, paving the way for cost savings, improved product quality, and long-term sustainability. Mitigating waste allows companies to adopt practices that are not only in line with the growing eco-consciousness of consumers, but are also consistent with sustainable development.
It is therefore imperative that stakeholders in the textile and clothing sectors work together to tackle the challenge of fabric waste. The payoffs are manifold: reduced environmental degradation, enhanced ethical manufacturing, increased economic viability, and the elevation of the industry’s contribution to global sustainability efforts. Everyone, from manufacturers to policymakers and consumers, has a responsibility to create a fashion industry that is more waste-efficient and sustainable. The fashion industry, through concerted effort, innovation and an ethical commitment, can transform from being a part of the issue to becoming a part of solution.