Fashion is just the tip of a toxic iceberg
Addressing plastic pollution must be at the core of corporate responsibility.
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Addressing plastic pollution must be at the core of corporate responsibility.
Clothes are being produced and discarded at a staggering rate.
PHOTOGRAPH BY ARAM LASCANO FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE
The waste crisis is an issue that goes to the heart of how we produce, and how we consume. And one that requires action at every level — local, national and global.
This year’s International Day focuses on fashion and textiles. And rightly so. Unless we accelerate action, dressing to kill could kill the planet.
Textile production often uses thousands of chemicals — many of them harmful to people and the environment. It devours resources like land and water — putting pressure on ecosystems. And it belches out greenhouse gases — inflaming the climate crisis.
Clothes are being produced and discarded at a staggering rate — driven by business models that prioritize newness, speed and disposability. Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothing is incinerated or sent to landfill.
Fashion is just the tip of a toxic iceberg. Waste is an issue in every sector. Every year, humanity produces over two billion tons of garbage. If you pack all that into shipping containers stacked end to end, they would stretch to the moon and back.
Here on Earth, toxin-filled waste is seeping into our soil, our water and our air. And ultimately into us. As usual, the poorest pay the highest price.
More than one billion people live in slums and informal urban settlements, where waste management is non-existent and disease runs rampant.
The rich world is flooding the Global South with garbage, from obsolete computers to single-use plastic and more. Many nations do not have the infrastructure to process even a fraction of what is dumped on their shores. As a result, materials that could be recycled are burned or sent to landfill. And waste pickers are exposed to toxic chemicals as they sift through potentially hazardous materials, including broken electronics, in appalling conditions.
We need a different approach: one that delivers on the commitment in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for sustainable production and consumption. And there are signs of hope. Change is possible. And it presents exciting opportunities.
In fashion, for example, designers are experimenting with recycled materials. Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainability.
In many countries, resale markets are booming. And important initiatives are bringing together large and small businesses, industry associations, civil society and many others to drive sustainability across the sector. They include the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, and the Fashion Pact.
We must celebrate the power of these innovations to transform the industry. But we need more. And we need change in every sector.
I welcome the work of the Chair and the First Lady and members of the United Nations Advisory Board on Zero Waste to raise awareness, and help meet the SDGs.
The fight against waste requires us all. Governments must act: Through policies, regulations and subsidies that promote sustainability, and zero waste initiatives…
That encourage businesses to adopt positive practices…
That provide decent jobs…
And that empower everyone — not just the wealthy — to afford products that last.
The current negotiations for a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution — due in August this year — are a key opportunity for governments to drive progress.
I urge them to take it…
And to translate any treaty into action to support consumers to make environmentally friendly choices, and into a clear roadmap across industries.
Addressing plastic pollution must be at the core of corporate responsibility. There is no space for greenwashing. Businesses must increase circularity, waste reduction and resource efficiency across their supply chains.
We need accountability for corporate sustainability commitments. We need transparency for customers. And we need consumers to use their purchasing power to encourage change: Reducing excessive consumption, valuing products that last, and embracing exchanges and resales. And we need young people and civil society to keep using their voices and power to demand change through advocacy.
We must build on progress, to end the waste practices wasting our planet. On this International Day, let us commit to do our part to clean up our act, and build a healthier, more sustainable world for us all.
(Excerpts of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ remarks to the General Assembly on the International Day of Zero Waste on 27 March 2025.)
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