Graduation, formal & the textile waste crisis

With the HSC trials complete and major works grinding to a stressful finish, the Year 12 cohort is filled only with excitement for their end of school celebrations – that and gut-wrenching resentment for the upcoming HSC. The cohort has been abuzz with eager discussions, particularly the universally infamous question – ‘What will I wear to formal?’

Almost everyone has bought a new garment/outfit for formal and another for graduation and even one for the various other parties surrounding these events. In the Oxley Year 12 cohort alone, that’s over 100 formal textile items that will most likely end up in the back of a wardrobe, only to one day be discarded. Each year Australia accounts for 300,000 tonnes of the global textile waste. This number is exacerbated yearly by our parasitic need to gorge ourselves on attire for formal events.

Each year Australia accounts for 300,000 tonnes of the global textile waste.

If in the Southern Highlands there are around 10 high schools and in each of these schools we have 90+ students, each buying at least 1 new outfit for their formal events. This amounts to almost 1000 textile items, which is equivalent to 167 kg. The image below shows roughly 200 garments, just imagine how much 1000 would be! 

While textile often seems like a sustainable product made from earth’s renewable resources such as cotton or wool, the ugly truth is textiles can take upwards of 150 years to break down. In fact, your favourite cotton shirt will live to see the year 2224.  The harsh chemicals used to develop fabric has strangled the environmental aspect of this resource, creating super materials that when discarded account for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions. The textile waste crisis is growing at an unnervingly exponential rate, and the harsh reality is that we are responsible.

Your favourite cotton shirt will live to see the year 2224.

However, unlike other non-biodegradable materials. textile is durable, reusable and if we can lean into upcycling and donating, we can decrease the textile waste we are sending to landfill. Charities such as Dress for Success, Life Without Barriers and The Giving Gown Foundation are great places to donate your formal wear. Or perhaps you could try your hand at upcycling the fabric or simply donating to your local thrift shop. Before rushing to the nearest fast fashion export for your formal and graduation get-up, check your wardrobe for anything you can re-wear, explore thrift shops, or upcycle something.

Ellen M, Year 12