Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide marked the International Day of Zero Waste, which spotlighted solutions to the mounting environmental and social problems caused by the fashion and textile sector.
More than 240 events were held across the globe, from an exhibition in China where old fabrics were reimagined as furniture to a youth hackathon in France. Some 630,000 people joined the Zero-Waste-Day conversation on social media, while airport billboards from Istanbul to Beijing showcased the importance of reusing and repairing clothing.
At the core of Zero Waste Day, which falls on March 30 each year, was the idea that the rapidly expanding fashion industry is having an outsized impact on the planet.
“Unsustainable fashion is aggravating the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature, land and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “We need to focus on a circular economy approach that values sustainable production, reuse and repair. By working together, consumers, industry and governments can support genuinely durable fashion and help reduce our fashion footprint.”
Here are five key takeaways from the third edition of Zero Waste Day.
1. It showcased how fashion and textiles contribute to a global waste pollution crisis
Studies suggest that every year, 92 million tonnes of textile waste are generated worldwide and each second the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothing is incinerated or dumped in a landfill. On Zero Waste Day, leaders brought this crisis into sharp relief.
“Unless we accelerate action, dressing to kill could kill the planet,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres during a special event at UN headquarters in New York City.
At an event in Nairobi, Kenya, Emine Erdoğan, First Lady of Türkiye, said in a video message: “We can easily take off and throw away our clothes, but nature cannot do the same. The Earth that should be blooming with flowers is now buried under textile waste.”
2. It emphasized the impact of second-hand clothes on developing countries
As textile production has grown, so too has the flow of used clothing into developing countries. In many places, these clothes are recycled and reused, creating jobs and other economic opportunities. But some nations lack the infrastructure to repurpose the volume of garments they’re receiving, leading many to wind up in landfills – or worse.
Maisa Rojas, Environment Minister of Chile, addressed that issue on the inaugural episode of UNEP’s Transforming Textiles: The Policy Podcast with Global Leaders which was launched around Zero Waste Day.
“The origin of why we have so much secondhand clothing is really that we have moved in just a couple of decades towards this very, very fast fashion,” she said.
Rojas called for international policy cooperation to limit fashion waste: “We hope that we can advance collectively in addressing this problem because we would not be able to do it alone.”
3. It touted efforts to make the fashion sector more sustainable.
Zero Waste Day was more than about highlighting problems. It was about sharing solutions to the fashion industry’s waste problem.
The UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste highlighted three standout initiatives that are helping to make fashion more circular. Thailand’s United Wardrobe Project is installing clothing donation boxes in schools, Norway’s LiiS.com is leasing repairable garments to pre-school children; and India’s Closing the Loop programme is redirecting post-consumer textiles from landfills.
In response to a call from UNEP and UN-Habitat, hundreds of people and groups shared how they are tackling fashion waste, including by reusing textiles and experimenting with materials made from sustainable sources, like agricultural waste.
“We must celebrate the power of these innovations to transform the industry, but we need more,” said Guterres in New York.
4. It brought together young people to voice their ideas for change
Hundreds of events took place worldwide – including webinars, upcycling workshops, clean-up days, tree planting initiatives and toy exchanges – with many focusing on how youth can make the fashion industry more sustainable.
In Paris, France UNEP hosted a two-day youth hackathon challenging students and young fashion professionals to develop practical concepts for reducing textile waste.
The three winning solutions were a plug-in for university websites that lets students sell or trade their clothes; a campaign to counter overconsumption by helping young Parisians overcome trend-driven desires; and a series of curated fashion swaps and repair workshops that promote local and international exchange.
5. It became a fashion moment, with celebrities showing off their zero-waste wardrobes
UN Goodwill Ambassadors, celebrities, content creators and youth advocates took to social media to share examples of fashion items from their wardrobes that embody zero waste. Actress Dia Mirza wore a handwoven saree and blouse that she inherited from her mother.
Actress Antoinette Taus highlighted some of her favourite pieces made from offcuts. And musician Rocky Dawuni sported an upcycled shirt made by a designer friend.
In Nairobi, Kenyan Grammy-award winning musician Savara performed an exclusive version of his hit “Fashionista”, which explores the pressures of trying to stay on trend.
UNEP’s Andersen shared three outfits she’s had for years, noting the fond memories she has of wearing them to everything from birthdays to summits. “Can we make our clothes last? I think we can,” she said.
About the International Day of Zero Waste
The International Day of Zero Waste, observed on 30 March, was established through UN General Assembly Resolution 77/161, and is jointly facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). This day aims to raise awareness about the critical role of waste management and responsible consumption and production in achieving sustainable development. It calls on individuals and organizations to adopt a life-cycle approach, focusing on reducing resource use and environmental emissions at every stage of a product's life cycle.
The UNEP Textile Initiative provides strategic leadership and encourages sector-wide collaboration to accelerate a just transition towards a sustainable and circular textile value chain. To stay updated on UNEP's textile work, and broader developments in the textile sector, sign up to the monthly newsletter.
