Redress Call for Government Policies Addressing Textile Waste

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Redress is pleased to share our recommendations submitted to the Hong Kong SAR’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam as part of the ongoing public consultation for the 2020-21 policy address to be delivered in November 2020.

With these recommendations, we hope to encourage government policies that support Hong Kong in reducing our textile waste rates and moving toward a more circular economy.

Dear Mrs. Lam,

On behalf of Redress, thank you for the opportunity to submit our recommendations on policy measures for consideration in your forthcoming Policy Address.

As the leading NGO working to reduce and transform textile waste in this region, our policy recommendations are aimed at helping Hong Kong to reduce its textile and clothing waste rates in order to reduce landfill pressure and costs, stimulate the local circular economy and demonstrate regional and global leadership in advancing various of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.


In the below submission, we set out our proposals for helping Hong Kong overcome these textile waste challenges as well as leverage the opportunities therein, for our city and community.

Yours sincerely,

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Nissa Cornish
Executive Director
nissa@redress.com.hk

INTRODUCTION

Textile waste rates continue to be a concern for a growing group of stakeholders in Hong Kong, with consideration for both the negative environmental impact and the wasted economic value in the linear, take-make-dispose model of mainstream clothing and textile industries together with current waste management infrastructure. 

Hong Kong generates an average of 392 tonnes of textile waste per day into landfill, accounting for 3.4% of total municipal solid waste (1). An estimated 50% of this is in the form of clothing, according to the Environmental Protection Department’s (EPD) Statistics Unit’s response to an email enquiry from Redress.

Based on assessment of the EPD’s Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) reports, textile waste rates in Hong Kong have risen 32.4% over the past ten years. This is in contrast to several other types of waste that have decreased due to improved public education and government initiatives. 

Meanwhile it is estimated that 95% of all textile waste could be reused or recycled (2). Yet in 2018, a mere 0.4% of textiles were recovered for recycling in Hong Kong (3).

It is critical that the Hong Kong  Government take a leadership role in a) stimulating a circular economy model for clothing and textiles, moving away from the current linear system; b) improving Hong Kong public awareness regarding clothing consumption and behaviour; and c) creating and executing a plan to reduce local textile waste.

RECOMMENDATIONS



1. Develop a circular fashion and textiles economy in Hong Kong:

  • Enhance institutional and financial support for relevant environmental and social NGOs working to reduce textile waste and promote circular fashion systems through initiatives such as clothing drives, redistribution and awareness campaigns.

  • Provide subsidies for Hong Kong clothing and textile brands, manufacturers and retailers to source recycled textiles in order to stimulate a circular market.

  • Stimulate a well-developed secondhand clothing retail market in Hong Kong by offering financial incentives such as rent and operation subsidies or grants.

  • Introduce a regulated Producer Responsibility Scheme (PRS) for clothing and textile products, referencing the current WEEE PRS as a model for complex materials recovery.



2. Increase public awareness of sustainable fashion production and consumption:

  • Conduct targeted public awareness campaigns among Hong Kong citizens to promote behavioural changes such as making wiser purchasing decisions, increasing clothing utilisation to extend the life of garments, and choosing responsible solutions for unwanted or end-of-life clothing.

  • Strengthen current school curricula to include more comprehensive coverage of the impact of clothing and textiles, as well as responsible clothing consumption, usage and disposal, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Sustainable Consumption and Production.

  • Include ‘Clothing/Textiles’ as a key material in the next edition of the Hong Kong Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources, or its equivalent, which we hope to see published in 2022.

3. Develop robust recycling infrastructure and facilities for truly end-of-life textile waste to reduce pressure on Hong Kong landfills:

  • Accelerate the implementation of a waste charging scheme for Hong Kong.

  • Work towards including textiles in the recyclable materials list in order to significantly divert textiles from the waste stream at source.

  • Offer attractive investment for companies with acknowledged reputations for environmental excellence in fibre recycling processes and technologies (including collection, sorting, grading and recycling) across multiple textile types to operate in Hong Kong.

  • Work with Mainland China and other countries in the region to develop textile recycling systems and regulations that allow post-consumer textiles to be exported across borders for processing within Asia.

FURTHER BACKGROUND 

Environmental Impacts of Textile Waste

Whilst textiles comprise 3.4% of Hong Kong’s MSW, which may not seem significant, consideration must be given to the broader environmental impact embedded in textiles that extend beyond landfill issues.

The textile industry, including fashion, is estimated to emit 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, more than those of all international flights and maritime shipping combined. The same industry is responsible for an estimated 20% of all industrial water pollution worldwide and 35% of microplastics entering the oceans. (6)

Meanwhile, the fashion industry’s global emissions are projected to increase by more than 60% per year by 2030. (7)

To understand the impact of wasted clothing, one must reflect on the natural capital in each garment of clothing. Consider that it can take up to 3 kg of chemicals to make 1 kg of cotton (8); 10 sqm of land (9) to grow the cotton for a single pair of jeans; up to 2,720 litres of water (10) to produce one conventional cotton t-shirt; and that over 120 million trees (11) are logged each year to make clothing.

Textile waste negatively impacts the entire supply chain, adding substantial and unnecessary pressure on natural resources when textiles that already exist could be harnessed to reduce the need for raw materials.

Stimulating a Circular Fashion Economy

There is evidence that the circular economy can provide significant environmental, social and economic benefit. Recent research suggests there is the potential to create €160 billion (nearly HKD1.4 trillion) every year for the world economy through more efficient use of scarce resources in the fashion industry by making progress on a range of issues up and down the value chain. (12)

Consumer Attitudes in Hong Kong

A study conducted by Redress in 2020 revealed that two in five Hong Kongers only keep clothing for one year or less and 30% throw unwanted clothing items in the rubbish. Additionally, the study found that almost one third of clothes in Hong Konger’s wardrobes are ‘never’ or ‘rarely worn’ and that discounts are the number one purchase trigger for Hong Kongers when buying clothes. 

Redress’ study highlights the need for better consumer awareness and it also offers hope: two out of three Hong Kongers noted that they had made changes in their clothing consumption behaviours because of COVID-19, with more than half of the respondents realised they had enough clothes and 30% understanding that their changed habits have an impact on the environment. (13)