A new action plan will be compiled by March this year by the Japanese government, which will promote wider reuse and recycling of clothes, calling on local governments, businesses and households to work together to reduce textile waste, domestic media reported.
To promote circular fashion, the action plan will set five key initiatives, including strengthening systems to collect used clothing, expanding reuse and extending product lifespans.
Specific measures will be outlined for central and local governments, companies and households.
Municipalities will be encouraged to improve collection rates and make second-hand clothing more accessible to citizens in need, while apparel companies will be asked to design products that are easier to repair or reuse.
People will be urged to recycle clothing and choose environment-friendly products.
An Environment Ministry report said 8.38 billion cubic metres of water were estimated to have been consumed annually through dyeing and transportation processes of clothing supplied to Japan in 2024, while 95 million tonnes of carbon dioxide were estimated to have been emitted.
As sales to second-hand stores and recycling into repurposed textiles were limited, an estimated 560,000 tonnes of apparel were incinerated or sent to landfills in 2024, about nine-tenths of which came from households.
ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)
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