Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend my comrade, Senator Boylan, and Brian Marron, in her office. They have worked tirelessly on this and do an incredible job for Sinn Féin. I also thank our team on climate and just transition.

Central Statistics Office, CSO, figures, show that, in Ireland, 8.9% of people cannot afford new clothes, 1.4% cannot afford a warm, waterproof coat, and 2.5% cannot afford two pairs of shoes suitable for daily activities. This is truly shocking in 2023, when Ireland is considered one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Yet, every year, millions of items of clothing are unsold, disregarded or destroyed. This is as well as the waste associated with mining raw materials and the energy and labour that go into manufacturing the clothes, only for them to go in the bin without delivering benefit to anyone. It is no exaggeration to say that when all the socioeconomic and environmental challenges of the day are considered, the destruction of unsold clothing represents the most wasteful scenario conceivable.

The dominant approach, to date, has been to blame consumers for fast fashion. However, the reality is that dumping clothing is not confined to any one branch of the fashion industry. It is an intrinsic part of the business model of many brands, and, moreover, such overproduction does not happen by accident. It is a fundamental element of a company's projected profits, which is actively pursued and strategically invested in. Burberry, H&M and Zara have all been caught engaging in wilful destruction of vast quantities of clothing. In 2017 alone, Burberry destroyed unsold clothes, accessories and perfume worth £28.6 million. The total value of the goods destroyed by Burberry alone, from 2013 to 2017, is estimated to be in excess of £90 million. The practice of destroying unsold items and even rolls of unused fabric is not unique to Burberry or even luxury fashion brands. For many brands, like Zara, H&M and SHEIN, the overproduction of goods is the cornerstone of their business models. In companies built on a high-volume model, over-ordering of large quantities of fabric and items can be cost effective, as these items can then be sold at discount, while still turning a profit.

The Government can no longer bury its head in the sand and be an idle bystander to this morally and environmentally bankrupt practice. It cannot continue to pass the buck to consumers as it continues to wait for the EU to act. Individual actions alone will not end this business model. we need strong Government leadership and decisive action. I commend Senator Boylan for pressing the Government. I thank the Sinn Féin team for providing the Private Members' Business time for this important Bill.