On-demand production has transformed many industries. Our members will remember how on-demand digital printing began the transformation in the commercial printing industry back in the 1990s, and then turned signs and display graphics upside down as well. On-demand production has been slower to gain traction in textiles and apparel for a number of reasons, including evolving quality, availability of ink sets, and more over the years. But today, there are fewer, if any, of those barriers. The biggest barriers are the mindsets and business models of brands and retailers, who are still delivering the dreaded Fast Fashion, cheap clothing that lures in consumers but rarely lasts long, with most of it ending up in landfills around the globe.

According to a recent report from TheRoundup.org, the world produces 92 million tons of textile waste every year. Clothing and textiles currently make up at least 7% of the total amount of waste in global landfill space. Some of it will degrade, but a lot of it won’t—since some 60% of apparel consists of poly or poly/cotton blends, and even “pure” cotton often contains elastin—we love our stretchy fabrics—which delays any biodegradation of the material, or prevents it altogether. And yet, between 80 and 100 billion new clothing garments are produced globally every year. The report goes on to add that, despite what we hear about recycling, upcycling, reuse and take-back programs, only one percent of clothing gets recycled into new garments. For the full details, be sure to read the full article. It’s pretty disturbing.

Brands and retailers drive a lot of this, using antiquated business models that foster way too much waste. But consumers are at fault, too. As long as they continue buying, brands and retailers, understandably, will continue to produce. But we now have the technology that lets them produce at least some of it on-demand, made to order. In this article, we again take a look at two companies that are making a difference and are inspirational—as they and other on-demand manufacturers grow and begin to take more market share, brands and retailers—and consumers—are likely to take notice. But will it be fast enough to make a difference to our fragile planet?