Can we 'pant' clothing like we do with bottles?

Since 2002, 'Dansk retursystem' have been making sure, that waste of glass, plastic - and aluminiumbottles is almost non existent. In fact 9 out of 10 bottles within the countries landmark gets returned to this circulary system, which makes it both succesfull and unique from other countries.

Professor at SDU, Philip Beske-Janssen, is an expert on circular economy and sustainable development. 

He praises the pant-system in Denmark for, "working super well."

The punishing system of adding a pant-tax to the orignal price motivates people to do an effort of returning the bottles again, 

"You don't make a profit, you just dont make a loss," Beske-Janssen explains. 

The problem behind why this system is, not yet, an adaptable solution for the fashion industry's overconsumerism of textiles, is simple.

"It's very difficult because of the different types of fabrics in clothes. Some for stretching, som chemichal polyester-based, some cotton-based," he states, "it's extremely resourceful and difficult for companies to use this mixed material again."

On top of the practical difficiulties, the professor imagines a pant-tax for clothing would be at least 20 DKK.

"I don't assume people would be wiling to pay for that - we would reach the amount that you pay in the first place for the piece," he adds, especially related to the boom of cheap fast-fashion brands today.

This story is for an audience anywhere in the world. It could be published on BBC News in their Sustainable Business section.