Episode 37: Textile Waste Innovations for Achieving a Circular Economy with Raymond Randall from WM
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Textile waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the United States. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Raymond Randall, Sr. Manager of Textile Recycling at WM, to discuss what WM is doing to drive circularity with textile waste, why textile waste is such a big problem for both the environment and for business, how fast fashion plays a role in textile waste, the textile recycling program at WM, and more.
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What is WM doing to drive circularity with textile waste?
“We realize there is no singular solution for solving all the challenges in the textile and apparel industry. There are a couple aspects to our approach. First, we want to become hyper skilled at collaborating. We realize there are some things that we are awesome at. There are some other things that we need some help on. It's not our forte. They are not our core competencies. So identifying the people that do those things really well and then figuring out how to link arms I think is a great approach for us to be able to move the needle forward in this space. Second of all, we want to have a large portfolio of solutions for our customers enabling us to divert material to highest and best use so we want to be keenly aware of all the advancements and options for managing this material which are changing very rapidly. We want to have a really robust portfolio of solutions for our customers and then we have to increase convenience for them. There has always been a correlation in recycling between convenience and participation. The easier it is for people to do something, the more they are going to do it. Right now, recycling textiles or pushing it up the value chain isn't that easy, so it is on us to figure out how to make that easier and more convenient for our consumers to do something different with their textiles and really manage it more effectively. We have two textile recycling facilities. One in Phoenix, AZ and one in South Carolina.
We are primarily focusing on commercially generated materials at the moment, largely pre-consumer type materials, but working with a lot of the brands and retailers to figure out how to get that material separated into highest and best use categories that align with what they are trying to do for their sustainability goals, circularity goals, and getting fiber back into their supply chain. Our current focus right now is on the commercially generated material.”
Do you know how many pounds of clothing and textiles are disposed of annually? Why is textile waste such a huge problem?
“I actually looked at some Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) numbers for us. In 2018, which was the last date the EPA published, the U.S. generated roughly 17 million tons of textile waste. The EPA would use a broader definition, so that could include fabric waste, upholstery, etc… Textile apparel is the biggest percentage of it by a long shot. 17 million tons total in the U.S. Roughly 11 million tons of that went directly to landfill. There are about 2.5 million tons that are recycled and recycling could mean going to thrift or donation which probably means it then went to exporting or downcycling. Roughly three million went to some type of waste to energy type facility. It is staggering volumes of material and of that, 15% that went to recycling, less than 1% actually gets converted back into new fiber. If you think about most brands and retailers, they all want to sell you more next year than they sold you this year and less than 1% of waste textiles is getting converted back into fiber. The problem is growing astronomically.
The volume of material that really needs to have alternative solutions is growing pretty rapidly. I will say it is the fastest growing waste stream in the U.S. On an annual generation rate, it has increased about 80% in the last eighteen years in terms of total tons. Next highest, according to the EPA, is food waste which has only grown about 48% during that same time period. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), has only grown 13% during that time frame. Even when you look at it on a per capita basis, it has increased about 55% during that time period and again food waste is down around 27%, almost half, and the total MSW on a per capita basis has actually dropped in recent years, so it's a massive problem. They say the average consumer throws away around 80 pounds of textiles a year.
If I think of why consumers end up throwing away that amount, I think there are two things. One, it is the convenience issue, but I also think there is this sort of predetermination by the consumer that surely this pair of ripped or stained torn jeans don't have a market or isn't viable for reuse or donation and the reality is there are so many more technologies and services coming online that can take that pair of jeans and do something with the fiber to get it back into new denim or back into new apparel. I don't know if the consumers are aware of that as much, so I think we are deciding this one isn't viable for reuse, we should just go ahead and put that in the trash, the thrift stores don't want it. Many of them have programs now that can take that, manage it, and get that to fiber recyclers.”
How is fast fashion contributing to textile waste?
”There is a stat about clothing utilization and it said that the average number of times a garment is worn before it ceases to be used, that number has decreased about 36% in the last fifteen years. We are just wearing and keeping clothes less than we have in the past. When you think about fast fashion, I think the stat is that more than 50% of fast fashion is probably disposed of in under a year and they really only make fast fashion garments to last about 10 wearings which means they are not viable for reuse and donation, those kinds of programs.
It is not made to stay in the commerce stream very long. It is a huge challenge. When you think about this globally, I think they say 92 million tons of waste garments are generated annually. I think Ellen MacArthur had a stat in one of their reports recently that said we lose about 500 billion dollars of value every year in textiles due to clothing not being worn until it has reached the end of its life or just due to lack of recycling. 500 billion dollars of value is being lost annually, that's amazing. I mean that is beyond sustainability. That is just bad business. We need to do better.
They always say the fashion industry is the second largest polluting industry. I've never seen a report that actually specifies how they found that. I just see that repeated a lot. I did find one person that tried to figure out exactly what it would be and they said it was maybe the sixth largest polluting, whether it is the first or the tenth, I'm not sure it really matters. It is a huge issue. They say roughly 20% of global wastewater is due to the fashion and apparel industry and 10% of global greenhouse emissions is due to the apparel industry. It is a huge tax on us environmentally.”
ABOUT Raymond randall
Raymond is Sr. Manager of Textile Recycling at WM, and is responsible for strategy, integration, and supply chain engagements that will ultimately help shift the textile industry towards greater circularity. With over twenty-five years of sustainability, solid waste and recycling consulting experience, he has provided a wide range of consulting and project management services to a diverse set of clients ranging from Fortune 100, non-governmental organizations, non-profits, trade associations, and city, county and state government agencies. Raymond graduated from Geneva College with a BS in Business Administration and a BS in Management Science. He holds a MBA from University of Florida.
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