Deadstock vs. Textile Waste: What’s the Difference?

In Part 1, we explored what deadstock fabric really is, how brands market it, and why it’s not always the sustainability solution it seems.

Now, in Part 2, we’re stepping back to look at the bigger picture of textile waste—where deadstock fits in, the different types of textile waste, and why so much fabric still ends up in landfills. More importantly, we’ll explore real solutions and how both individuals and the industry can take action.

If Deadstock Fabric Isn’t the Ultimate Sustainability Solution, What Is?

Deadstock is just one type of textile waste—but it’s not the whole story. While some deadstock gets resold and repurposed, a huge amount of textile waste—including offcuts, surplus inventory, secondhand fabric, and used textiles—never gets a second life. Instead, it often ends up in landfills or incinerators.

At FABCYCLE, we work to rescue all types of textile waste, including:

✅ Deadstock fabric – Surplus rolls and leftover stock from manufacturers, designers, fashion brands, and textile mills.
✅ Secondhand & used fabric – Materials donated or sold by sewists, schools, film productions, and businesses that no longer need them.
✅ Production waste – Offcuts, misprints, flawed materials, and end-of-roll pieces that businesses can’t sell through conventional channels.

Deadstock vs. Textile Waste: What’s the Difference?

Technically, deadstock is a type of textile waste—but not all textile waste is deadstock. The key difference is who produces it and when in the lifecycle it appears:

• Deadstock fabric comes from brands, mills, and manufacturers before it ever reaches consumers.
• Textile waste includes everything from offcuts and defective fabrics to secondhand and used materials—waste that appears at different stages of the textile lifecycle.

Because deadstock is unused, it’s often seen as desirable—whereas other types of fabric waste, like scraps or materials with defects, are harder to repurpose. But this is exactly why we focus on them—because they’re the least likely to be reused, and we want to change that.

By prioritizing fabric waste that has no resale value, we help ensure that fabrics truly at risk of disposal are saved and given a second life in sustainable sewing, upcycling, and creative reuse.

The Environmental Impact of Textile Waste

The fashion industry generates about 92 million tonnes of textile waste per year—that’s one garbage truck full of fabric waste every second.

While deadstock fabric helps keep some materials in circulation, it doesn’t stop new fabric from being made. And when used fabric and secondhand textiles aren’t repurposed, they add to the growing textile waste crisis.

So, What’s the Best Way to Reduce Fabric Waste?

• Address overproduction at its root—shifting from excess production to more sustainable, on-demand textile manufacturing.
• Prioritize fabric reuse and circularity—supporting brands and initiatives that focus on fabric upcycling, secondhand fabric, and sustainable sewing.
• Rescue textiles that have no other options—which is exactly why we do what we do at FABCYCLE.

At FABCYCLE, we believe in reducing waste at its source by keeping fabric in circulation for as long as possible—whether that means rescuing deadstock fabric, repurposing secondhand fabric, or giving used textiles a second life.

Beyond Fashion: Where Else Do We See Deadstock?

Deadstock isn’t just a fashion term—it applies across industries. You’ll find deadstock materials in:

• Shoes (unsold inventory from past collections)
• Electronics (older but unused components or devices)
• Home textiles (upholstery, curtains, and bedding)
• Accessories (bags, belts, and trims from past seasons)

The concept remains the same: materials that weren’t used in their original market but can still be valuable elsewhere.

What About Secondhand & Thrifted Fabric?

Another common question: Is thrifted fabric considered deadstock?

The short answer: Not really. 

• Thrifted fabric, secondhand fabric, and used fabric have alreadyentered the consumer market and are being resold or repurposed.
  
  
• Deadstock fabric, on the other hand, refers to materials that never made it to consumers in the first place.

That said, secondhand fabrics are just as important for sustainability, deadstock prevents surplus materials from being discarded before reaching consumers, while secondhand fabrics extend the life cycle of textiles that have already been used.

Whether it’s buying fabric from a thrift store, repurposing vintage textiles, or sewing with used fabric, every effort contributes to a more circular textile economy.

The Bigger Picture: What You Can Do

 Understanding deadstock and textile waste isn’t just about knowing where fabric comes from—it’s about knowing where it goes and how we can make better choices as part of a bigger system..

💡 As a sewist, designer, or conscious consumer, here’s how you can be part of the solution:

✔️ Support true waste diversion – Look for businesses that actively rescue textiles from landfills—like FABCYCLE!

✔️ Think beyond the label – Deadstock is just one part of sustainability. Look deeper into production cycles and consumption habits—including your own!

✔️ Get creative with reclaimed materials – Whether it’s deadstock, secondhand, or used fabric, every fabric deserves a second life.

But real change happens beyond individual action—it happens when we demand better from the industry itself.

How to Push for Industry Change:

📢 Push for transparency. Ask brands where their excess fabric goes. Are they reselling, repurposing, or destroying it? It’s a tough question—one that makes brands uncomfortable because it exposes a vulnerable truth. But that’s exactly why it needs to be asked. The more people demand answers, the clearer it becomes that this issue can’t be ignored.

♻️ Support circular design. If you’re a maker, incorporate reclaimed or secondhand materials into your work. And ask yourself the tough questions, too. How can you do better? When you examine your own cycle of making, you start to see your process from a more holistic perspective. And in doing so, you also start noticing the gaps in the brands you interact with. There’s always something to learn—but learning only happens when we start questioning.

🛠 Advocate for scalable solutions. Governments, manufacturers, and large retailers have the biggest impact on fabric waste—holding them accountable matters. But it’s also important to remember that companies are made up of people—people who learn, adapt, and push for change.

Many of the connections we’ve made with large organizations didn’t come from executives—they came from the people working on the floor. Production assistants, fabric cutters, and sourcing specialists—people who see the waste firsthand and take the initiative to push for better solutions internally.

Change often starts from the ground up, with people closest to the problem pushing for better solutions. Some companies lead the way, while others need that extra push—whether from inside their teams or from outside pressure. And when individual action and industry change work together, that’s when real progress happens.

Fabric waste isn’t just an industry issue—it’s a systemic issue, built into the way textiles are designed, produced, and discarded. It’s a design issue, a policy issue, and an economic issue—shaped by production cycles, supply chains, and regulations.

💡 Feeling frustrated? That makes sense.

Once you see the scale of overproduction, it’s hard to unsee it. It’s easy to feel like the system is broken beyond repair—like no matter what we do, the waste will keep piling up.

But here’s the thing: we are not just consumers.

We’re makers, problem-solvers, designers, business owners, workers, thinkers and voters. We’re part of this system in more ways than just buying fabric.

We create, we influence, we innovate, we demand better.

The problem isn’t just that too much fabric is made—it’s that we’ve accepted this cycle as normal.

But what if we didn’t?

What if more businesses questioned how much they produce?
What if designers factored reuse into their process?
What if we, as makers, kept pushing for more transparency and smarter solutions?

That’s how change happens—not overnight, but in shifts, in choices, in conversations that spark something bigger.

So yes, using deadstock alone won’t solve the problem. But understanding it? That’s power. The more we know, the more we can create differently, buy differently, and challenge the way things are done.

The system won’t change on its own.
But it never has.
People change it.

And that includes you.

Final Thoughts

FABCYCLE exists because textile waste exists—including deadstock, secondhand fabric, and used textiles. The work we do wouldn’t be possible without a community of makers, sewists, designers, and sustainability advocates who believe in giving materials a second life.

Every fabric tells a story. Some were once forgotten in storage rooms, others were part of a designer’s collection that never made it to production, and some were scraps from larger manufacturing runs—pieces that most would overlook. But we see their potential.

By rescuing and reusing these textiles, we’re not just diverting waste—we’re proving that fabric, no matter where it comes from, still holds value.

♻️ If you’ve ever created something from reclaimed materials, you’re part of this change.

💬 What’s your experience with deadstock, secondhand fabric, or textile waste? Drop your thoughts in the comments or visit us at the Textile Waste Reuse Center!

Happy making! 🧵😊