14 August 2018 | Herpreet Kaur Grewal
Waste management company Waste Cost Reduction Services (WCRS) Ltd has urged the fashion industry to manage its waste more effectively.
The comments follow the burning of stock by fashion brand Burberry and the revelations by a consequent BBC report that of 35 high-end designers and high street retailers contacted on their waste processes, only six responded with breakdowns or further information.
Robert Logan, WCRS Ltd's managing director, said: "Compared to the catwalk, an effective waste management strategy is extremely unglamorous, but it is vital to managing costs and meeting legal requirements, not to mention the corporate and social responsibilities many high street consumers now demand."
As the BBC reported, research collated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation suggests that global clothing production has doubled in the past 15 years, with garments on average being worn much less and discarded quicker than ever before, and it is estimated that only 1 per cent of clothing is ultimately recycled into new garments because of the complexity in the polyester-type materials used.
Several initiatives have been set up by the fashion industry to combat waste and increase recycling.