Textile waste piles up in China as fast fashion reigns and recycling takes a back seat

China is the world’s largest textile producer and consumer, throwing away 26 million tons of clothes each year, mostly made of unrecyclable synthetics. A recycling factory in Zhejiang province on China’s east coast that repurposes discarded cotton clothes is trying to deal with the urgent waste problem. So, too, are young innovative designers in Shanghai, by remaking old garments into new ones or creating clothing out of other waste items, such as plastic bottles, fishing nets, flour sacks and even pineapple leaves. But these efforts are dwarfed by giant brands churning out cheap synthetic garments for a rampant consumer base spreading rapidly across the world. Experts believe real change is only possible through an elusive zero-waste workflow or Chinese government intervention.