Learning Waste Colonialism From a Clothing Waste Zombie – Atmos

Currently, estimates suggest there are between 80 and 150 billion items of clothing produced annually. The discrepancy between those numbers is enormous—70 billion. Without adequate data, we cannot hope to slow down the fashion system; to produce less with more intention; and to build adequate waste management systems suited for the number of garments we discard. It is crucial that the solutions we uplift are ones coming directly from the communities who are most impacted by Big Fashion’s systemic oversupply. The Or Foundation’s invitation to brands to share their production numbers and Speak Volumes is the first step.

The reality is that the system must change—and this change can’t come soon enough. To avoid missing a sale, Big Fashion plans to overproduce, placing higher volume orders with suppliers than they will ever be able to sell. In fact, estimates suggest that brands oversupply by 30%. Other studies show that between 10% and 40% of all garments produced are never sold but sent to landfill. Furthermore, brands often write off their unsold stock as tax deductions, which cushions any financial losses. 

The systematic overproduction of Big Fashion is a justice issue. Not only does it perpetuate and reinforce waste colonialism in the Global South by companies in the Global North, it is also tied to labor rights violations.

Despite local efforts in receiver countries that import discarded garments and resell them in markets, there are too many clothes for the community to deal with. Many end up in the waste stream, causing environmental and humanitarian disasters. But how is fashion able to produce as many as 80 billion garments annually in the first place?