3 creative ways to fix fashion's waste problem | Amit Kalra

翻译人员: Kangping Qi 校对人员: Peipei Xiang

A few years ago, I found myself

就在几年前，我开始寻找

looking for the most cost-effective way to be stylish.

让自己变得时髦的 最经济有效的方式。

So naturally, I wound up at my local thrift store,

很自然的，我去了当地的二手店，

a wonderland of other people's trash

那个堆满了别人的垃圾，

that was ripe to be plucked to become my treasure.

有待我去发现宝藏的王国。

Now, I wasn't just looking for your average

要知道，我找的不是普通的

off-the-secondhand-rack vintage T-shirt to wear.

二手复古T恤，

For me, real style lives at the intersection of design

对我而言，真正的风格是

and individuality.

设计和个性的交叉。

So to make sure that I was getting the most out of the things I was finding,

所以为了确保我能够 最大化地利用我找到的东西，

我买了一台缝纫机，

I bought a sewing machine

so I could tailor the 90's-style garments that I was finding,

那样我就可以剪裁那些我所找到的 九零年代风格的服装，

to fit a more contemporary aesthetic.

使之更符合现代的审美观。

I've been tailoring and making my own clothes from scratch ever since,

从那时起，我就一直自己缝制衣服，

so everything in my closet is uniquely my own.

所以我衣柜里的所有东西 都是独一无二属于我自己的。

但是当我淘着这些无穷无尽的 摆在二手店架子上的衣服时，

But as I was sorting through the endless racks of clothes at these thrift stores,

I started to ask myself,

我开始问我自己：

what happens to all the clothes that I don't buy?

那些我不买的衣服会有什么下场？

The stuff that isn't really cool or trendy

那些不酷也不潮的衣服

but kind of just sits there and rots away at these secondhand stores.

就那样在二手店的一角慢慢烂掉。

I work in the fashion industry on the wholesale side,

我在时尚产业的批发领域工作，

and I started to see some of the products that we sell

我开始看到一些我们卖过的产品

end up on the racks of these thrift stores.

最后也出现在了二手店衣架上。

所以这个问题也开始影响我的工作。

So the question started to work its way into my work life, as well.

I did some research

我做了一些调查，

and I pretty quickly found a very scary supply chain

并且很快发现了一个 非常恐怖的产业链，

that led me to some pretty troubling realities.

看到了一些非常残酷的现实。

It turned out that the clothes I was sorting though

我发现那些我在二手店

at these thrift stores

淘的衣服

仅仅代表了我们每年扔掉的

represented only a small fraction of the total amount of garments

全部衣物的冰山一角。

that we dispose of each year.

In the US, only 15 percent of the total textile and garment waste

在美国，每年产生的 所有纺织和服装垃圾

that's generated each year

只有15%

ends up being donated or recycled in some way,

以捐赠或回收之类的方式结尾。

这就意味着每年那剩下的 85%的纺织和服饰垃圾

which means that the other 85 percent of textile and garment waste

end up in landfills every year.

最终都会被填埋。

Now, I want to put this into perspective,

我想要更直观地看一下这个问题。

because I don't quite think

因为我觉得

大家对85%这个数字可能没概念。

that the 85 percent does the problem justice.

This means that almost 13 million tons of clothing and textile waste

换句话说，这意味着几乎 1300万吨的衣服和纺织垃圾

end up in landfills every year in just the United States alone.

每年都以填埋的方式被处理， 这还仅仅只是美国，

This averages out to be roughly 200 T-shirts per person

平均下来这相当于每个人都扔了

ending up in the garbage.

大约200件T恤。

In Canada, we throw away enough clothing

在加拿大，我们扔掉的衣服

to fill the largest stadium in my home town of Toronto,

足够填满我的家乡 多伦多那边最大的

one that seats 60,000 people,

可以容纳六万人的露天体育场，

with a mountain of clothes three times the size of that stadium.

并且足足可以填满 三个这样的体育场。

Now, even with this,

当然即便这样，

I still think that Canadians are the more polite North Americans,

我依然认为加拿大人 是更加有礼貌的北美人，

so don't hold it against us.

所以不要拿这件事来抨击我们。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

What was even more surprising was seeing that the fashion industry

更令人难以置信的是，

时装产业是世界第二大污染业，

is the second-largest polluter in the world

仅次于石油和燃气产业。

behind the oil and gas industry.

This is an important comparison to make.

这是一个重要的对比。

I don't want to defend the oil and gas industry

我不想为石油和燃气产业辩护，

但是我不惊讶于 它们是世界第一污染业，

but I'd be lying if I said I was surprised to hear they were the number one polluter.

因为我个人觉得（无论公平与否） 石油和燃气产业都是

I just assumed, fairly or not, that that's an industry

不怎么关心我们的社会现状的，

that doesn't really mind sticking to the status quo.

并且开采技术几乎没有多大的改变，

One where the technology doesn't really change

这个行业更关注如何获得利润，

and the focus is more so on driving profitability

哪怕那是以可持续发展为代价。

at the expense of a sustainable future.

But I was really surprised to see that the fashion industry was number two.

但是当我得知时尚产业竟是 第二大污染业的时候，我真的很惊讶，

因为维持现状

Because maintaining that status quo

跟时尚产业是背道而驰的。

is the opposite of what the fashion industry stands for.

而现实可悲的的地方在于，

The unfortunate reality is,

我们不仅浪费掉了 很多可以使用的东西，

not only do we waste a lot of the things we do consume,

but we also use a lot to produce the clothes that we buy each year.

而且每年都会使用很多资源 来制造我们购买的衣服。

On average, a household's purchase of clothing per year

平均而言，每年每个家庭购买的衣服

requires 1,000 bathtubs of water to produce.

需要足足可装满 1000个浴缸的水来制造。

A thousand bathtubs of water per household, per year.

1000个浴缸的水，一家人，每年。

That's a lot of water.

这可不是个小数目。

It seems that the industry that always has been

看起来总是站在

或将永远站在 时尚设计最前沿的服装产业

and probably always will be on the forefront of design,

creates products that are designed to be comfortable, designed to be trendy

制造出了穿着舒适，紧跟潮流的产品，

and designed to be expressive

并且设计得极具表现力，

but aren't really designed to be sustainable

但却不是可持续的，

或可重复使用的设计。

or recyclable for that matter.

But I think that can change.

但我认为这种现状会改变，

I think the fashion industry's aptitude for change

我认为时尚产业改变的本性

is the exact thing that should make it

正是它应该成为

patient zero for sustainable business practices.

追求可持续发展的企业先驱的原因。

And I think to get started, all we have to do

首先我们需要做的就是

is start to design clothes to be recyclable at the end of their life.

开始设计能够 在寿命结束时可回收的服装。

Now, designing recyclable clothing

设计可回收的衣服

is definitely something to leave to the professionals.

毫无疑问应该留给专业人士去做，

But as a 24-year-old thrift store aficionado

但是作为一位二十四岁的 有着一台缝纫机的

armed with a sewing machine,

二手店狂热爱好者，

if I were to very humbly posit one perspective,

如果我可以非常谦虚地 提出一个建议，

it would be to approach clothing design kind of like building with Lego.

那么就是用打造乐高的方式 来设计服装。

When we put together a brick of Lego,

当我们把乐高积木拼在一起，

这些结构会非常结实， 但是也非常容易被操控。

it's very strong but very easily manipulated.

It's modular in its nature.

在乐高的世界里， 这些都是可组装的、模块化的。

如今的服装设计却很少是模块化的。

Clothing design as it stands today is very rarely modular.

Take this motorcycle jacket as an example.

就拿这件机车夹克来说，

It's a pretty standard jacket with its buttons, zippers and trim.

这是一件有着扣子、拉链、 小配件的非常标准化的夹克，

But in order for us to efficiently recycle a jacket like this,

但是如果想要 有效地重复利用这件夹克，

we need to be able to easily remove these items

我们必须要能够 很轻易地去除这些小物件，

and quickly get down to just the fabric.

并且能够迅速地 得到这件衣服的面料部分。

Once we have just the fabric,

一旦我们有了纯面料，

we're able to break it down by shredding it

我们就可以用碎片化的方式将其拆分，

然后在拼接缝合层面重新组装，

and getting back to thread level,

make new thread that then gets made into new fabric

用出新的拼接方式 把它们变成新的面料，

最后变为新的衣服，

and ultimately new clothing,

whether it be a new jacket or new T-shirts, for example.

例如一件新夹克或是一件新T恤。

But the complexity lies with all of these extra items,

然而所有这些多余的小物件 都会使整个过程变得复杂，

the buttons, the zippers and the trim.

像这些纽扣、拉链、小配饰。

Because in reality, these items are actually quite difficult to remove.

因为在现实操作过程中， 这些小东西很难去除，

所以在很多情况下， 这需要更多时间和更多金钱

So in many cases it requires more time or more money

to disassemble a jacket like this.

去拆解一件像这样的夹克。

In some cases, it's just more cost-effective to throw it away

在一些情况下，扔掉它

rather than recycle it.

比回收它更省钱。

But I think this can change if we design clothes in a modular way

但我认为如果我们能对服装 进行模块化设计，这种情况将可以改变。

to be easily disassembled at the end of their lives.

模块化会使衣服 在寿命尽头更易拆解，

We could redesign this jacket to have a hidden wireframe,

我们可以重新设计这件夹克， 让它有一个隐蔽的线框，

kind of like the skeleton of a fish, that holds all important items together.

就像一条鱼的骨架一样， 它带着所有重要的小物件。

This invisible fish-bone structure can have all of these extra items,

这种隐秘的鱼骨形状的结构 可以装戴着所有额外的配饰、

the zippers and the buttons and the trim,

拉链、扣子和小物件

sewn into it and then attached to the fabric.

被缝进去然后与面料连接在一起。

So at the end of the jacket's life,

所以在这件夹克寿终正寝时，

你所需要做的只是去除这条“鱼骨”，

all you have to do is remove its fish bone

然后面料就出来了——

and the fabric comes with it

比之前要更快，更便捷。

a lot quicker and a lot easier than before.

Now, recycling clothing is definitely one piece of the puzzle.

不过，回收衣物 只是这个问题的一个方面，

But if we want to take

如果我们想要

fixing the environmental impact that the fashion industry has

真正去修复这些时尚产业 带来的严重的

环境影响，

more seriously,

那么我们就需要 更进一步并开始设计

then we need to take this to the next step and start to design clothes

在寿命终结时可降解的衣物。

to also be compostable at the end of their lives.

我们衣橱里的绝大多数衣服

For most of the types of clothes we have in our closet

平均寿命一般都在三年左右。

the average lifespan is about three years.

Now, I'm sure there's many of us that have gems in our drawers

我确定有些人拥有比这

更有年头的宝石，这很好。

that are much older than that, which is great.

哪怕只是将衣服的寿命延长九个月，

Because being able to extend the life of a garment by even only nine months

所带来的垃圾和水污染

reduces the waste and water impact that that garment has

by 20 to 30 percent.

就会减少20%到30%。

But fashion is fashion.

但是潮流就是潮流，

Which means that styles are always going to change

这意味着风格 永远都在不断变化之中。

and you're probably going to be wearing something different than you were today

几年后，你很可能会穿跟今天

不一样的衣服，

eight seasons from now,

不管你多么想要保护环境。

no matter how environmentally friendly you want to be.

但对我们来说幸运的是， 有一些东西永不过时，

But lucky for us, there are some items that never go out of style.

我说的就是我们的基本衣物—— 大家的袜子、内衣，甚至睡衣，

I'm talking about your basics -- your socks, underwear, even your pajamas.

We're all guilty of wearing these items right down to the bone,

我们大家都会将这些衣服穿到破为止，

and in many cases throwing them in the garbage

并最后直接把它们扔进垃圾桶。

因为你可不能

because it's really difficult

把自己的破旧袜子

to donate your old ratty socks that have holes in them

捐到当地的二手店。

to your local thrift store.

But what if we were able to compost these items

但是如果我们可以 把这些东西作为肥料，

rather than throw them in the trash bin?

而不是直接扔到垃圾堆里呢？

The environmental savings could be huge,

这对环境保护的意义是很重大的。

and all we would have to do is start to shift more of our resources

我们所要做的就是转移资源，

to start to produce more of these items using more natural fibers,

开始用更多的自然纤维 生产更多这样的物品，

like 100 percent organic cotton.

像是100%有机纯棉。

Now, recycling and composting are two critical priorities.

回收和降解是两个很重要的方面。

But one other thing that we have to rethink

但是我们还需要重新思考的是

is the way that we dye our clothes.

我们漂染服装的方式。

Currently, 10 to 20 percent of the harsh chemical dye that we use

如今，我们使用到的 10%到20%的有害化学染料

end up in water bodies that neighbor production hubs in developing nations.

最终都流入临近的 发展中国家生产中心的水体之中。

The tricky thing is that these harsh chemicals

让问题更加复杂的是， 这些有害化学品

are really effective at keeping a garment a specific color

在让一件衣物保持特定色彩并维持

for a long period of time.

很长时间方面很有效，

It's these harsh chemicals that keep that bright red dress

就是这些有害化学染料 能够让一件亮红色裙子

在很多年后依然鲜艳动人。

bright red for so many years.

But what if we were able to use something different?

但是如果我们用 其他不同的东西来染色呢？

What if we were able to use something

如果我们可以用一些

在我们厨房餐柜里都能找到的东西

that we all have in our kitchen cabinets at home

来漂染我们的衣服呢？

to dye our clothes?

如果我们能用一些香料和香草类植物 来为我们的衣服染色呢？

What if we were able to use spices and herbs to dye our clothes?

There's countless food options that would allow for us to stain material,

生活中有不计其数的食物 可以帮我们为衣物着色，

but these stains change color over time.

但是这些着色剂会使衣服颜色 随着时间逐渐褪去。

This would be pretty different than the clothes that were dyed harshly

这会与那些我们经常用 有害化学染料所染出来的

衣物截然不同。

with chemicals that we're used to.

但是用这种自然的方式漂染服装

But dyeing clothes naturally this way would allow for us

to make sure they're more unique and environmentally friendlier.

可以保证我们的衣服更独特， 对环境更友好。

Let's think about it.

让我们想一想我刚刚所说的。

在今天，时尚就是个性，

Fashion today is all about individuality.

它关乎我们每个人的 外表与独特气质。

It's about managing your own personal appearance

to be just unique enough to be cool.

如果你独一无二，你就很酷。

These days, everybody has the ability to showcase their brand

现如今，每个人都有展示他们的品牌、

their personal style,

个人不同风格的能力，

across the world, through social media.

通过社交媒体在世界各地 来传达这些信息。

The pocket-sized billboards

我们口袋中的“广告牌”，

that we flick through on our Instagram feeds

我们在 Instagram 上看到的，

are chock-full of models and taste-makers

全部都是模特和品味艺术家们，

that are showcasing their individuality

他们通过个人微品牌

through their personal microbrands.

展示自己的个性。

但是有什么会 是比随着时间变色的衣服

But what could be more personalized, more unique,

than clothes that change color over time?

更凸显个人风格，更别致的呢？

Clothes that with each wash and with each wear

每一次的洗和穿都会让

become more and more one of a kind.

这件衣服变得更加独特。

People have been buying and wearing ripped jeans for years.

破洞牛仔裤已经流行很长时间了，

So this would just be another example of clothes that exist in our wardrobe

这可以是另一个 存在于我们衣柜里的例子——

that evolve with us over our lives.

它们随着我们生命而逐渐演化。

This shirt, for example, is one that,

比如说，这件T恤——

虽然我妈妈和她的厨房 可能会有所不满，

much to the dismay of my mother and the state of her kitchen,

I dyed at home, using turmeric, before coming here today.

是我在今天来这里之前 用姜黄根粉末在家里染的。

This shirt is something

这是一件

that none of my friends are going to have on their Instagram feed.

我的好友不可能 在 Instagram 上看到的T恤，

So it's unique,

这是独一无二的。

but more importantly, it's naturally dyed.

但更重要的是， 这是用自然染料着色的。

Now, I'm not suggesting

我不是建议每个人都要

that everybody dye their clothes in their kitchen sink at home.

在厨房的水槽里染自己的衣服，

但是如果我们可以来运用这个方法，

But if we were able to apply this

or a similar process on a commercial scale,

或是在服装商业生产过程中 运用相似的过程，

then our need to rely on these harsh chemical dyes for our clothes

那么我们对于化学染料的依赖

could be easily reduced.

就会大大减少。

The 2.4-trillion-dollar fashion industry is fiercely competitive.

2.4万亿美元的服装市场 竞争非常激烈，

So the business that can provide a product at scale

如果一个企业可以 大量提供这种产品，

while also promising its customers

并且能对顾客承诺

that each and every garment will become more unique over time

每件衣物会因为时间的流逝 而变得更加与众不同，

这将会是一个极大的竞争优势。

will have a serious competitive advantage.

Brands have been playing with customization for years.

很多品牌多年来 一直在做个性化的产品，

The rise of e-commerce services,

电子商务服务的兴起，

like Indochino, a bespoke suiting platform,

像是 Indochino， 一家做私人西服定制的平台，

and Tinker Tailor, a bespoke dress-making platform,

还有 Tinker Tailor， 一个做私人裙装定制的平台，

have made customization possible from your couch.

使你在自家的沙发上 就能实现个性化。

Nike and Adidas have been mastering their online shoe customization platforms

耐克和阿迪达斯提供 在线私人定制鞋服务

for years.

已经很多年了。

Providing individuality at scale

大规模地提供个性化产品，

is a challenge that most consumer-facing businesses encounter.

是大部分面向顾客的 公司面临的挑战。

So being able to tackle this

所以如果能够解决这个问题，

while also providing an environmentally friendly product

同时提供一种对环境友好的产品，

could lead to a pretty seismic industry shift.

将可能导致一个剧烈的行业变革。

And at that point,

到那时候，

这就不仅仅是关乎 做对我们环境最友好的事，

it's not just about doing what's best for our environment

but also what's best for the bottom line.

也是做对我们行业发展最有利的事。

There's no fix-all, and there's no one-step solution.

这并不是万灵药， 也没有一蹴而就的解决方案，

But we can get started

但是我们可以

by designing clothes with their death in mind.

在设计衣服时 就考虑到它们如何终结。

The fashion industry is the perfect industry

时装产业是一个完美的能够

开始这个实验并拥抱变化、

to experiment with and embrace change

that can one day get us to the sustainable future

帮助我们实现 那个可持续未来的行业，

we so desperately need.

那正是我们迫切需要的。

Thank you.

谢谢大家！

(Applause)

（掌声）