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Zero Waste Fashion

Fabric Cutting Table

Beyond buying organic or even second hand clothing, there’s a new trend sweeping the fashion industry, and it’s poised to reduce waste dramatically!

According to the New York Times:

Zero-waste design strives to create clothing patterns that leave not so much as a scrap of fabric on the cutting room floor. This is not some wacky avant-garde exercise; it’s a way to eliminate millions of tons of garbage a year. Apparel industry professionals say that about 15 to 20 percent of the fabric used to produce clothing winds up in the nation’s landfills because it’s cheaper to dump the scraps than to recycle them.

Parson’s the New School for Design is leading the charge here in the U.S. with the first ever course in zero waste design. Until now, most zero waste designers were from other countries.

Eco-friendly design is nothing new at Parsons. Check out this video from their Reuse, Recycle, Reconstruct installation by students in its AAS Fashion Design program:

Want to read more about the zero waste fashion movement? Check out the New York Times article!

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by potteryandeverythingelse

Written by Becky Striepe

My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”), and I am a crafts and food writer from Atlanta, Georgia with a passion for making our planet a healthier, happier, and more compassionate place to live. My mission is to make vegan food and crafts accessible to everyone!. If you like my work, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, and .

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