Leftover fabric or “deadstock” fabric is excess fabric that clothing companies and textile mills have leftover. This leftover fabric can be already made into a garment or still unused textile.
Deadstock is a staggeringly high economic cost is only beaten on the sustainability front. Disposing of deadstock contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, carbon footprints and is a major source of fabric waste. However, companies opt to create new fabric and products each time they desire.
- 120 billion dollars is the value of excess fabric populating the world’s warehouses.
- In 2017, the annual amount of solid textile waste was estimated to be a staggering 92 million tons.
Everyone from high-end names to fast fashion brands is guilty of destroying quality excess fabric.
Facts about fabric production
- On average, each kilo of dyed textile requires 100 to 150 litres of water.
- Global textile fibre production is at 109 million tones in 2020
- 1 kg of cotton = 27 kg of CO2/greenhouse gas
- The fast fashion industry employs approximately 75 million factory workers worldwide.
- producing one metre of woven fabric from cotton 1-1/8" in a continuous open width process (COW) cost 1.36 USD/m on average in 2021
Left overs as spare rolls or cutting scraps can be difficult to trace as they are usually sold to the local secondary market at low prices as quickly as possible after production is finished. Considering the vast number of waste dumping sites by roadsides all around Dhaka it’s clear that the local market is overwhelmed, and waste made available far outstrips demand.
In Bangladesh, over 500,000 tonnes of leftovers are generated annually, potentially producing over 1 billion new garments through reuse and recycling, indicating profitable opportunities for recycling.
A possible solution...
This market is filled with untapped potential and a wide variety of options. Yet, there is an abundance of fabric that cannot all be utilized. To address this, production needs to be scaled back, and current practices must adapt. Brands should focus on using only essential materials and disposing of excess stock responsibly
At Better Day, we are dedicated to inspiring positive change in the fashion industry. We leverage our knowledge of the global fashion industry to change the narrative, maximizing the use of leftover fabrics to create distinctive pieces, allowing you to wear your garments worry-free and at an affordable price.
Our first ever Linen collection is crafted from premium deadstock materials with a focus on sustainability.
As we continue to our journey, our mission is to minimize waste and foster positive social impact by uplifting consumers, entrepreneurs and artisans.
View the collection to learn more
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