A System Designed for Replacement
Across industries, products are made to be produced faster, sold cheaper, and replaced more often. Nowhere is this more visible than in fashion, where the rise of fast consumption has fundamentally changed how products are designed, used, and discarded.
Over the past two decades, clothing production has more than doubled, while the average time a product is used has significantly decreased. Today, billions of products are created each year, many of them worn only a few times before being thrown away.
The Scale of the Impact
The fashion industry alone is responsible for an estimated 8–10% of global carbon emissions, producing over 1.2 billion tonnes of CO₂ annually. It also generates approximately 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year, equivalent to a truckload of clothing being discarded every second.
-
1.2B
TONNES CO₂
-
92M
TONNES WASTE
-
1 TRUCK
PER SECOND
Linear System
At the same time, less than 1% of materials are recycled into new garments, making the majority of products part of a linear system:
The Hidden Cost of Speed
Shorter lifespans
Products today are not made to last.
They are designed with a limited lifespan, just enough to function, but not enough to endure repeated use over time.
Lower durability
Materials and construction are often compromised to reduce cost and increase speed.
What looks acceptable at first quickly reveals signs of wear under normal use.
Limited repairability
Many products are difficult or impossible to repair.
Components are sealed, standardized, or simply not intended to be replaced, turning minor damage into total replacement.
Resource Depletion and Pollution
The industry consumes vast amounts of natural resources:
- Billions of cubic meters of water every year
- Thousands of chemical substances used in production
- Heavy reliance on fossil-based materials like polyester
It is also a major contributor to:
