Why Social Enterprises Are Tackling Fast Fashion's Waste Crisis
Written by Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO
Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs.
There was a time when people bought clothes that lasted for a year or more. However, today's fashion landscape is about trendy and affordable clothing. Unfortunately, fast fashion has resulted in a massive amount of waste and overconsumption, with some reporting that people throw away clothing items on a monthly basis. While clothing may be cheap, it's coming at a high environmental and sustainable price. One area of hope is with social enterprises working to transform from a linear waste-based economy to a reuse economy.
The environmental and social toll of fast fashion
Fast fashion thrives on overconsumption. Reports by the European Union state that the industry consumes 1.5 trillion liters of water each year. Further, textile dyeing and treatment contribute to 20% of worldwide clean water pollution due to toxic chemicals entering fresh water. As I write a book about the reuse economy, I share that the world has an enormous textile problem, with 100 to 150 billion garments getting manufactured annually.
The repercussions of this incredible waste go beyond the environmental damage. Another effect is labor, who may get paid pennies an hour for long work days. Unfortunately, many fast fashion manufacturers seek to ensure profits at the highest possible levels. That means they may not pay adequate wages to people in developing countries, or the workers have poor working conditions and long hours. This immense waste means that people and the planet get exploited.
Social enterprises: Catalysts for change
While there's growing recognition that the fashion industry has to shift from fast to slow fashion, social enterprises can also be leaders in the sector and socially responsible traditional companies. Regarding social enterprises, by definition, they don't just consider their profits in their business models. They're also looking to benefit society through things such as ethical manufacturing, community empowerment, and sustainability.
1. Upcycling textiles and waste reduction
Socially responsible companies seek to combat textile waste. For example, platforms such as Recovo help facilitate the resale of overstock fabrics and textiles. As a result, it helps fashion brands repurpose excess materials or reuse them in other garments. The approach ensures that fabrics don't end up in landfills and reduces the amount of new materials that have to be created for the industry.
2. Ethical production and fair wages
Other brands, like Vestiaire Collective, seek to take a stand against fast fashion by empowering people and promoting ethical production. They're standing against fast fashion by promoting ethical production practices. The brand is the world’s first Certified B Corporation committed to combating the harmful effects of fast fashion, and in 2022, they committed to spend the following three years doing so.
3. A post-fashion world
You then have other organizations, such as Fashion Act Now, which seeks to educate consumers about their fashion choices. More specifically, the organization is "Standing against the dominant, growth-based Fashion system, and for clothing cultures that nurture people and planet.” The aim, quite simply but importantly, is to enact their mission to “Defashion by 2030.” It’s an audacious goal, but that’s what we need.
The ripple effect on communities and businesses
The fact is that social enterprises, companies, nonprofits, and community organizations can benefit from sustainability and the reuse economy. As I’m writing in my upcoming book, the money companies and, more generally, taxpayers are putting into municipalities to get rid of the waste in our communities, which are funds that could, instead, get redirected. How about some of that money going to schools, hospitals, and infrastructure?
For-profit social enterprises, global companies, and others can and should lead on sustainability. As a social entrepreneur, I can tell you that I'm proof positive that companies can make a profit in the reuse and circular economy. Innovative companies are looking for ways, especially with the use of technology, to transform waste into utility or decorative merchandise. Imagine the material in clothing getting transformed into lamps, for example.
Innovative thinking empowers communities and commerce and allows organizations to make a profit. Further, business leaders can find cost savings by shifting away from waste and things such as fast fashion. For example, all companies should look at their energy waste, logistics, and vendors for better ways to cut expenses and do right by the planet and living things. All that's needed is the will of leaders to be creative.
A call to action
Today, the fashion industry and people worldwide stand at a crossroads. We can continue to make so much fast fashion and other stuff that we’re literally burying ourselves in textiles and merchandise. Think of the approximately 150 billion pieces of clothing created a year. That’s enough clothing to wrap around the Earth’s equator 7,000 times. The question for each of us is simple: Do we need to continue with excessive waste?
© 2025 Wayne Elsey. All Rights Reserved.
Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO
Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs. This social enterprise helps nonprofits, schools, churches, civic groups, individuals, and others raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise (small business) opportunities in developing nations and the environment.
