In the early 2000s in World 31, 70% of the Earth was converted into landfills due to decades of irresponsible clothing production. The population of the planet is impatient, dissatisfied and suspicious. It is 2020, after years of mistrust in the systems, rebellions and demand for legal actions, new global laws have been put in place. The main one obliges every maker to provide a 100% closed loop for every garment they make.
People care about their garments – where, how, by whom they are made. They are never thrown away and cannot be disposed of. If something tears, breaks or discolours, makers have to (if the individuals can’t themselves) take their products back and fix, reinvent, or repurpose them, either themselves or via collaborations with other makers or industries.
What if …
disposal of clothes was illegal and makers must provide a 100% closed loop?
Issue targeted:
textile landfill waste and mass production
Inspiration:
The Stop Ecocide campaign towards establishing it as an international crime
This World was contributed by Nikoleta Dimova (located in Bristol, UK) using a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence which allows others to share and adapt the work in any medium and for any purpose, providing that they credit the author and share their material using the same Creative Commons licence.
Related Explorations
Does this World remind you of something?
I am keen to hear about any historical or contemporary real-world examples – whether individual practices, subcultures or mainstream activities – that this fiction brings to mind.
Please share any such examples using this form. Thank you!