{"id":10797,"date":"2025-01-22T10:25:33","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T10:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ineditinnova.com\/?p=10797"},"modified":"2025-01-22T11:06:09","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T11:06:09","slug":"la-industria-del-textil-es-un-03-circular","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ineditinnova.com\/en\/la-industria-del-textil-es-un-03-circular\/","title":{"rendered":"The textile industry is 0.3% circular, according to the ‘Circularity Gap Report Textiles’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The amount of recycled materials used by the global textile industry is just 0.3%, primarily from plastic bottles, and textile-to-textile recycling is almost non-existent. This industry, which includes clothing, footwear, and home textiles, consumes 3.25 billion tonnes of resources annually, 99% of which are virgin materials. Petroleum-based synthetic fibres, such as polyester, account for 63% of the materials used. The primary problem of the textile industry is the overproduction of cheap, low-quality garments, predominantly made from synthetic fibres<\/strong>. Up to 24 collections are launched annually, and 30% of the clothing produced never gets sold. These are the main findings of the Circularity Gap Report Textiles<\/em><\/a>, published by Circle Economy<\/a> and the H&M Foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"impactes
Contribution of the textile value chain to global impacts, by impact category. Source: Circle Economy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The textile industry is highly resource-intensive, relying on natural fibres derived from agriculture and synthetic fibres derived from petroleum. Producing these fibres requires significant amounts of water, land, and energy. According to the report, the textile sector contributes approximately 3.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 5% to nutrient overloads that disrupt aquatic ecosystems, and 3.5% to water scarcity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two key players in environmental impacts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

China and the United States play significant roles in these environmental impacts. China is the world\u2019s largest textile producer, using 40% of all materials globally, while the United States is the largest consumer. In Europe, the average citizen consumes 26 kg of textiles and generates 12 kg of textile waste annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Textile production employs 140 million people, nearly half of whom lack formal contracts; this figure rises to almost 90% in developing countries. Overall, these workers often face extremely precarious conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can the textile industry become more circular?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The textile industry faces challenges such as the degradation of fibres during recycling and dilemmas like mixed fibres being more durable but less recyclable than mono-materials. According to the report, “it is better to focus on reducing material consumption and the associated environmental impacts.” Adopting circular economy principles could cut the textile sector\u2019s environmental footprint by 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adopting circular economy principles could cut the textile sector\u2019s environmental footprint by 50%.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Recommendations from the report:<\/p>\n\n\n\n