“Tragedy of the commons” is a term used to describe an observed pattern of behaviour whereby when there is a common large natural resource, people tap into the resource to fulfil their self-interests. On micro levels, each individual sees little harm from their own use despite cumulatively, resources are being used up quickly. When population and utilisation reaches high levels, resources are rapidly depleted with no care.

Textile waste production is a tragedy of the commons. In retrospect, the reason people engage in fast fashion and compulsive consumption is because the amount of clothes produced and financial means available seem abundant so they keep buying to satisfy their desires or “retail therapy needs”. It could seem that I am only buying one shirt in a week but collectively, apparel spending is growing tremendously, so as the use of water, cotton and other raw materials.

There will be difficulties in saving the commons. Some apparel companies will continue with unsustainable production practices that allows them to keep profitable. It is difficult to accommodate the views of different stakeholders to reach agreements to change. As populations increase rapidly, the use of resources is at a greater scale than never before and may quickly strip resources dry.

Solutions

Experts say that Singapore should look to emulate East Asian countries including South Korea and Japan, which have cultivated successful public recycling behaviors through unorthodox measures.

For example, in South Korea it is mandatory for food waste to be separated by households so it can be recycled into animal feed or compost. There are also high-tech food waste disposal systems that weigh the food waste and charge residents based on the weight of disposed food waste. The country managed to cut its food waste from 5.1 million tons in 2008 to 4.8 million tons in 2014, official statistics show.

In Southeast Asia, Malaysia has recently focused on recycling, by introducing compulsory waste segregation in June. Penalties for residents who don’t comply include fines of up to 500 Malaysian ringgit ($120).

“What [Singapore] can do instead is to make people pay according to the amount of garbage they produce, known as the pay-as-you-throw or polluters-pay principle,” Tong said, adding that such measures could be combined with a save-as-you-reduce program, in which people do not pay to have their recyclables collected.

My verdict:

But again, it is not just about reducing the amount of textiles that is sent to the dumpster. The key to textile recycling is more about reducing use rather than recycling. Looking at the current situation, majority of the textiles that are not sent to the dumpster also land in landfills. The major bulk of the solutions should address consumers’ psychology. We need to get businesses to control their productions, using less environmentally exhaustive materials or simply control the quantity of sales. Use just what you need.