Reusable
Textiles
The textile industry predominantly prioritizes instant gratification and short-term gains, while undermining sustainable but profitable long-term opportunities. The “convenience economics” of mass producing disposable products for consumption has been difficult for the textile industry to forego.
Fast fashion in the U.S., for example, has increased the average textile waste per person to 35 kg annually, while consumers wear only 20 to 30% of the clothes they own. Similarly, medical waste is also on the rise, with 80% of waste coming from disposable insulated coats, drapes, etc..
Contrastingly, studies have shown that there are significant environmental and financial benefits to switching to reusable textiles. Just 15 reusable medical scrubs can save up to 940 disposable items. Such statistics have convinced the Winter Haven Hospital in Winter Haven, Florida, to adopt a reusable surgical textile program in 2001. Within five years, they were able to reduce their operating costs by 41,000 USD.
15=940
Reusable
medical scrubs
Disposable
medical scrubs
Businesses in Canada should consider a similar approach to cost savings and environmental footprint reduction.
A study measured the environmental impacts of industry-standard reusable gowns vs. disposable hospital gowns, comparing 1,000 gown uses through the entire product lifecycle – manufacturing, usage, and end-of-life stages. The study found that reusable gowns had a significantly less impact than their disposable counterparts. For instance, switching to reusable gowns reduced natural resource energy consumption by 64%, greenhouse gas emissions by 66%, water consumption by 83% and waste production by 84%.
64%
Reduction in natural resource energy consumption
66%
Reduction in greenhouse gas emission
83%
Reduction in water consumption
84%
Reduction in waste production
According to an article published by the American Reusable Textile Association, “The economic impact study on cleanroom products demonstrates that the cost of reusables are 58% less expensive than their disposable counterparts, saving $120 million annually in garment purchases and laundry costs. Reusable cleanroom coveralls also save 136 million megajoules (MJ) of natural resource energy and global warming potential, the equivalent of removing 1,600 automobiles from the road each year. The solid waste disposal savings from choosing reusable materials were $340,000 per year.”
The study dives deeper to reveal that if all cleanroom facilities in the U.S. switched to reusable materials within a single decade, the industry would save more than $2.1 billion in garment-related purchases and costs, $5.6 billion in waste disposal expenses, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a comparable amount to removing 29,000 automobiles from the road. These figures are impossible to ignore.
With this in mind, we need a total paradigm shift in how we see the textile product lifecycle and the impact of disposable textiles on the environment. Great economists like Schumpeter (1942) and Rogers (1993) argued that innovation represents a form of “creative disruption”, and we believe a sustainable future requires this change in mindset.
Switching to reusable textiles is not only one of the most important changes the textile industry can make to preserve our planet for future generations – it’s also simply smart business.
It's time to
make a change.
It’s time to stop investing into a system that is proven to be inefficient, expensive, and harmful to the environment.
Find out what you can do to get started today.