It is said that more than 100 billion garments are produced each year on this planet, which is home to 8 billion people. (Image from KBS)
SEOUL, May 29 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Ministry of Environment has launched a new industry-wide council aimed at addressing the mounting environmental damage caused by clothing production and disposal.
The inaugural meeting of the “Apparel Environmental Council” was held on May 29, 2025, in Yongsan, Seoul, with 21 organizations in attendance, including five major fashion brands such as E-Land World and six recycling companies.
The council seeks to reduce the environmental footprint of the fashion industry across its entire lifecycle—from manufacturing and distribution to recycling and disposal—through policy development and collaborative industry standards.
The move comes amid growing global scrutiny over the environmental toll of the apparel sector. According to the UN’s Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the industry accounts for 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, a figure projected to rise to 1.243 billion tons by 2030—1.7 times South Korea’s total emissions in 2022.
Outerwear displayed in a vintage shop. (Yonhap)
In South Korea alone, the volume of discarded clothing doubled over four years, reaching over 110,000 tons in 2024, up from 59,000 tons in 2019. This figure includes only garments disposed of as household waste; industrial textile waste added another 2,490 tons in the same year.
A report by lawmaker Kim Tae-seon revealed that 71 publicly listed Korean fashion companies generated over 2.14 million tons of textile-related waste over a five-year span. The surge in fast fashion has further fueled concerns over resource consumption and waste generation.
As regulatory pressure grows globally—with the European Union introducing policies banning the destruction of unsold clothing and mandating eco-design, repairability, and digital product passports—South Korea is now taking proactive steps to align with international environmental standards and curb the apparel industry’s unsustainable practices.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
