Every year, the world produces 92 million tons of surplus fabric, which is hard to visualize. Imagine this: it equals the weight of over 61 million cars or 131 Taipei 101 skyscrapers. This amount of fabric, if made of cotton, would need 9.2 trillion liters of water—enough to fill about 3,680,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Additionally, dealing with this surplus fabric results in carbon emissions that cost about $4.6 billion to manage. These figures underscore the significant environmental impact of surplus fabric and highlight the challenges the textile industry faces in achieving sustainability.
Definition and Causes of Surplus Fabric
Surplus fabric refers to materials that cannot be delivered to customers or have become excess. These fabrics typically arise under several circumstances:
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Color Discrepancy: If the fabric color after dyeing does not match the sample swatch and deviates beyond the acceptable 5% range, it is considered surplus.
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Weaving Defects: Issues like streaks or abrupt stops in the weaving process can make the fabric unusable. Inappropriate yarn settings may also affect the fabric’s texture, elasticity, and drape, failing to meet brand standards.
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Size Mismatch: If the fabric’s width or weight does not meet the customer's specifications and cannot be adjusted, it becomes surplus.
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Dyeing Errors: Incorrect mix of additives during dyeing, color mismatches, or inadequate colorfastness can lead to surplus fabric.
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Order Cancellations: Commonly, orders are expected to be fulfilled within 45-60 days. If a brand cancels an order during production, the already produced fabric becomes excess.
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Overproduction: Factories often produce more fabric than ordered to ensure enough material to replace defective ones. For instance, for an order of 10,000 kg, a factory might produce 10,700 kg. The extra 700 kg becomes surplus if not shipped.
Environmental Impact of Surplus Fabric
According to the Taiwan Economic Research Institute, as of the end of 2016, Taiwan alone accumulated 80,000 tons of surplus fabric. Globally, a substantial part of the 92 million tons of textile waste produced each year is surplus. This vast amount of fabric frequently ends up in landfills. This is like fabric is disposed of in landfills every second.
Moreover, water pollution from textile production is a severe issue. The dyeing process in the fashion industry is responsible for about 20% of global wastewater pollution and contributes approximately 3% to carbon dioxide emissions. Notably, producing one kilogram of cotton requires about 20,000 liters of water, and making a single garment uses about 2,700 liters, equivalent to an adult’s drinking water for 900 days.
The popularity of fast fashion also contributes to the increase in surplus fabric production. By 2030, it is estimated that waste from fast fashion will reach about 134 million tons annually, causing significant environmental damage. This production not only consumes vast resources but also results in substantial waste.
How Factories Handle Surplus Fabric?
In Taiwan and Southeast Asia, common practices for dealing with surplus fabric include stockpiling or burning. Because factories are unwilling to sell these fabrics at low prices or destroy them directly, they collect in warehouses. Over time, these materials may get mouldy or plagued with insects; and the only option is to burn them. This method is worse for the environment because the burnt fabric doesn't break down easily, polluting the soil and giving off harmful gases when it burns.
Western countries, on the other hand, tend to reuse extra fabric, which saves water and energy during production while also reducing textile waste and pollution. Furthermore, these deadstock fabrics are sold at a lower price, which attracts merchants and individual workshops.
However, neither landfilling nor recycling fully addresses the issue; globally, only 12% of textiles are recycled, much lower than the recycling rates for other materials like paper in Taiwan (89%) and the USA (66%). The most effective strategy is addressing the issue at its source.
How Can We Strategically Reduce Surplus Fabric?
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From the brand's perspective: Improve forecasting and demand matching.
Brands should avoid arbitrary order cancellations, which lead to surplus fabric that is difficult to repurpose. To address this, brands should adopt slow fashion principles, focusing on quality and personalized designs that meet consumer needs and reduce surplus inventory. This approach not only ensures sustainability but also enhances adaptability to consumer trends. Brands should also work closely with suppliers to develop flexible supply chains and integrate advanced logistics systems to efficiently manage inventory and minimize waste. Embracing slow fashion is essential for reducing environmental impact and promoting long-term sustainability in the fashion industry.
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From the factory's perspective: Innovate technology and optimize processes.
Whether it's textile or garment factories, both are labour-intensive industries, and different people's capabilities or qualities have different outputs. It's the factory's responsibility to integrate automation machinery to optimize processes. For example, Tuntex, through innovative transformation and green production technologies, has significantly reduced energy consumption and water resources, saving up to 27,000 tons of water per month, equivalent to the water usage of 11 standard swimming pools. Alternatively, implementing AI technology, such as the visual inspection system, can be utilized to perform thorough fabric inspections efficiently. In addition, as additional data is collected, it can be employed to detect, forecast, and improve the production process proactively.
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From the consumer's perspective: Advocate rational consumption.
Influencer marketing has become the norm in today's highly developed internet age. According to data from The Social Shepherd, up to 39% of American social media users admit to purchasing products recommended by influencers. Excessive consumption is one of the main reasons the fashion industry damages the environment. Therefore, as responsible consumers, we should practice rational consumption, choosing products based on our needs and values to avoid unnecessary shopping and waste. This helps maintain personal financial health and keeps life balanced, avoiding the excessive pursuit of trends, thus promoting sustainable consumption patterns and lifestyles.
Conclusion
Addressing the surplus fabric issue is critical for achieving sustainable development in the textile industry. Brands, factories, and consumers must all take responsibility for reducing waste by improving production practices and making more conscious choices. Only through collective efforts can we significantly reduce surplus fabric production and its environmental impact.
As a global leading garment machinery manufacturer, OSHIMA is committed to providing technologies that help factories optimize their processes, thereby enhancing productivity and sustainability. Our latest advancements in AI technology improve textile quality inspection, playing a crucial role in the industry's sustainable development. For more information, please contact us.
