It is no secret that the fashion industry still has some way to go to become more responsible. It is important to remember that many initiatives are now being developed to address the challenges it faces.
Material loss during cutting
One of these issues is the loss of material linked to cutting fabrics during garment making. The first stage of the manufacturing process, cutting fabric rolls follows the patterns created by the designers of client brands. For a long time, this stage resulted in significant material loss. Patterns are not always designed in the most efficient way to use all available material, and the remaining scraps, too small to be used for other pieces, are therefore unusable as they stand. According to the Refashion website, this cutting stage results in the global loss of 60 billion m2 of fabric. A considerable figure, which can be expressed as follows: on average, between 20 and 30% of material is lost during cutting. And when considering the known effects, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, of fabric production, farming, transport and, once spinning is complete, the manufacture of the fabrics themselves, the loss is in fact substantial (see our carbon footprint on this subject to understand every stage).
What can be done with these fabrics?
In her book Is Ethical Fashion Possible?, sociologist Madjouline Sbai explains that these fabric offcuts are either discarded or shredded to be turned into cleaning cloths or home insulation.
Part of the thinking around the circular economy involves finding ways to limit the loss of these offcuts. Several solutions are currently being developed, including laser-cutting machines capable of following highly precise patterns and shapes. These patterns are designed to fit together, making the best possible use of the fabric. We already make good use of this with our partners.
Material loss caused by meeting production minimums
Garment workshops often have minimum production orders, which allow them to make their production lines viable. Brands have a certain quantity of products made and, for various reasons, do not always use their entire fabric stock (cash flow, miscalculations in production). As a result, some rolls of fabric do not reach the quantities required for the minimum production run and therefore remain “dormant” in the workshops. These unused end-of-roll lengths often end up being discarded. Companies such as Nona-Source add value to and encourage the creative reuse of existing unused resources, such as these dormant stocks.
Upcycling, the Hast way
Other solutions also exist, such as using fabric offcuts to make other types of products that require less fabric. This is what we set out to do by using the offcuts from the fabrics of our shirts to make our “upcycled” boxer shorts. In 2019, we designed our first boxer shorts using fabrics originally intended for the production of our shirts. This is a form of upcycling: the process, which literally means “recycling upwards”, consists of creating new value from materials no longer in use, making use of unused material otherwise destined to be discarded.
This season, we decided to try the experience again, this time by purchasing these dormant stocks from one of our suppliers. Using these stocks allows us to contribute to a more circular economy and to continue our commitment to a more responsible fashion industry.
Discover our upcycled boxer shorts.
