Festive fashion comes with a high price tag of hyperconsumerism

Dr Zoe Mellick, QUT School of Design; Associate Professor Tiziana Ferrero-Regis, QUT School of Design; Professor Rowena Maguire, QUT School of Justice

The festive season is here, and with it comes a familiar frenzy: Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, pre-Christmas shopping sprees, and the lure of Boxing Day sales. The financial scale of holiday shopping is immense, and clothes make up half the purchases.

According to the Australian Retailers Association, the six-week peak season in the lead up to Christmas is expected to bring a $69.7 billion boost in retail sales, a 2.7% increase on last year’s figures. Of this, $5.7 billion is projected to be spent on clothing – a 3.3% rise from previous years.

Monash University Business School research into seasonal retail trends reveals that fashion retailers are expected to benefit most, with 64% of Australian shoppers planning to purchase clothing, footwear and accessories during the sales and half purchasing these items as part of their Christmas shopping. While this surge in sales boosts the economy, it also fuels a far more concerning problem: textile waste.

A study from The Australia Institute highlights the scale of these challenges. Nearly half (47%) of Australians don’t consider how the gifts they purchase will eventually be disposed of, and over a quarter (27%) expect to receive a gift they will never wear or use. This disconnect between what is given and what is truly valued contributes significantly to the waste associated with the festive season.

Festive fashion often includes items like matching pyjamas for Christmas morning, event attire or novelty wear for parties. These garments, while fun and festive, are typically worn only once a year. The impact of these purchases on the environment is significant. Many of these garments are designed for limited use and made from unsustainable fibres such as polyester or sequins, which are difficult to recycle or biodegrade, leaving behind a legacy of waste long after the holiday season has passed.

Dr Zoe Mellick, a fashion lecturer from QUT’s School of Design has examined the sustainability and circularity of fibres, with a particular focus on cotton and other natural fashion fibres. At the heart of this issue is the consumption of short-lived items, contributing to the far-reaching, global problem of textile waste.

The Australian Fashion Council estimates that 62% of clothing received by Australian charities is exported to   countries like Africa or the Pacific Islands.

QUT research by Associate Professor Tiziana Ferrero-Regis on clothing waste in Ghana and the Solomon Islands sheds light on the negative impact of discarded clothing on local markets and communities. These unwanted garments flood foreign markets, undermining local textile industries and creating severe environmental challenges.

The volume of waste can be overwhelming, and the issue is exacerbated by overproduction and hyper-marketing tactics. According to OC&C and WSGN, approximately 10 to30% of clothing produced annually (between 15 and 45 billion garments out of 150 billion) are never sold or worn.  For fast fashion brands, it’s economically advantageous to overproduce, while retailers use targeted campaigns to encourage consumers to buy more than they need, often capitalising on the urgency and excitement of the holiday season. Disposal of unsold clothing is left to consumers or retailers, and often they end up incinerated.

Work by Professor Rowena Maguire and Associate Professor Bree Hurst for the United Nations Environment Program Textile Initiative explores how regulation can play a key role in improving textile sustainability,circularity and consumption.  High textile-consuming countries such as Australia should consider introducing:

• bans targeting chemicals of concern, and on the destruction or unsold and returned items
• restrictions on fashion advertising
• eco-design product design requirements
• sustainable procurement policies
• greenwashing protections
• tax incentives for circular practices
• a mandatory extended producer responsibility for textiles.

The EU is leading the way in developing these regulations which will produce ripple effects across global textile value chains.

There are also alternatives to the consumer-driven holiday rush. Simple solutions can make a significant difference:

• Ask people to provide specific present wishlists to reduce the number of unwanted gifts going to landfill.
• Support local artisans and reduce reliance on mass produced goods.
• Set up a Christmas shirt swap day at your children’s school, so that festive shirts that no longer fit can be swapped to celebrate the festive period while being more sustainable.
• Wear white, red or green clothing with a Santa hat that can be reused each year.
• Rethink how we express care and love by spending time and or giving experiences rather than purchasing products that no one needs.
• Offer repairs as a gift to reduce the pressure of buying new.

Remember, the cost of hyperconsumption during the festive season extends far beyond the price tag of new clothes. It affects the environment, local and global communities and contributes to a growing cycle of waste. By making mindful choices this holiday season, you can help create a more sustainable future - one where mindful consumption takes the place of overindulgence.