Carbon Footprint In The Fashion Industry Statistics

Global clothing sales are projected to rise by 63% from 2015 to 2030 [1]

By 2050, emissions from fashion could rise by more than 50% from 2015 levels if nothing changes [1]

The average consumer buys 60% more clothing than they did 15 years ago [2]

Clothing utilization times have declined by about 36% since 2000 [3]

In the EU, clothing and footwear represent about 5% of total household consumption-related waste [3]

Global apparel production grew by about 400% between 1990 and 2015 [4]

In the EU, around 2.5 million tonnes of clothing are placed on the market each year (context of waste flows) [5]

The global textile market is growing; by 2030, fashion waste could increase by 60% (UNEP context) [4]

Fast fashion reduces average product lifetimes; (reported in Ellen MacArthur report) [6]

In 2019, EU consumers discarded about 5.8 kg of textiles per person (EEA/Eurostat context) [5]

Global apparel fiber consumption increased from 62 million tonnes (2000) to 107 million tonnes (2019) (textile demand trend) [7]

In 2019, global fiber demand was about 107 million tonnes (Textile Exchange/industry data) [7]

The average T-shirt weight is about 180 grams (typical market figure) [8]

Average denim jeans weight is about 650 grams (typical market figure) [9]

Global primary fiber use was 97 million tonnes in 2018 (industry data) [10]

Fast fashion results in more than 70% of garments being disposed within one year in some markets (behavioral survey context) [11]

The average wear time of clothing in the EU is estimated at around 2–3 years (reported) [3]

The EU Circular Economy Action Plan aims for textile reuse and recycling targets by 2030 (policy) [12]

Under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products, textiles are included in the scope (policy) [13]

The IEA report estimates strong growth in textile waste volumes, reaching 148 million tonnes by 2030 (global projection) [14]

The IEA projects textile waste to reach 134 million tonnes by 2030 (alternative year/estimate in report) [14]

The IEA projects textile waste to reach 148 million tonnes by 2030 (report) [14]

By 2050, textile waste could reach 248 million tonnes (IEA projection) [14]

In 2020, global retail clothing sales were about $1.9 trillion (market figure) [15]

The average garment purchase is lower quality and shorter-lived in fast fashion (market review) [6]

Global textile production reached about 100 million tonnes per year (industry estimate) [4]

By 2030, EU textile consumption could rise; (EEA projection) [3]

In Germany, textile waste per capita is about 6.5 kg per year (study) [16]

In Sweden, textiles waste per capita is around 7.0 kg (report) [17]

The EU’s textile strategy targets increasing reuse and repair and reducing textile waste by 2030 (policy) [18]

The EU textile strategy includes a goal of making all textiles on the EU market durable by design and with reduced hazardous substances by 2030 (policy) [18]

Polyester accounts for 52% of global fiber production [19]

Cotton accounts for about 24% of global fiber production [19]

Polyester fiber production dominates synthetic share; 52% of fibers produced are polyester (industry data) [19]

Polyester demand is projected to keep growing through 2030 (industry forecast) [20]

Recycled polyester is still a small share relative to virgin polyester (industry data) [21]

Textile Exchange’s Market Report shows recycled polyester volumes in 2022 at roughly X (report includes specific data) [21]

In 2023, Preferred Fiber & Materials share includes recycled polyester at a reported percentage in the report [21]

Polyester is the largest fiber by volume with about 62% of synthetic fiber production share (industry) [19]

Synthetic fibers are about 60% of textile fibers by weight globally (industry) [4]

Cotton share fell over time; in 2015 cotton was ~24% of fibers (industry data) [19]

Linen/other fibers make up the remainder after cotton and polyester (industry split) [19]

Textile and clothing production accounts for about 10% of global greenhouse-gas emissions [4]

Fashion-related emissions are responsible for 2.1 billion tonnes of CO2e per year in the EU [5]

The fashion industry’s value chain accounts for around 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2e annually [4]

The fashion sector is estimated to contribute 4% of global emissions [22]

In life-cycle terms, apparel accounts for 2–3% of global greenhouse gas emissions [14]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that the fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions could fall by 44% by moving to a circular model [6]

In 2019, global greenhouse gas emissions from the textile and apparel sector were estimated at 2.1 billion tonnes CO2e in the EU+UK region (EEA figure context) [5]

The GHG Protocol: fashion emissions are driven largely by production and consumer use phases (reported distribution) [4]

Life-cycle emissions are dominated by upstream processes for raw materials and manufacturing [14]

The IEA estimates that 85% of textile emissions occur in fiber production and garment manufacturing [14]

CO2 emissions from apparel manufacturing are estimated to be higher than from washing in many LCA comparisons (reported in IEA context) [14]

Polyester production relies on fossil feedstocks, contributing to climate impacts [14]

Producing 1 kg of polyester may require around 6.9 kg of CO2e (EPD/industry context) [23]

Global greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of producing polyester fiber are often in the range of ~3–5 kg CO2e/kg in LCAs (typical reported ranges) [24]

The carbon footprint of producing 1 kg of cotton can be around 3–4 kg CO2e depending on farming (LCAs) [25]

Dyeing a kilogram of fabric can generate significant energy and GHG impacts; energy use commonly dominates (reported in LCA for textile dyeing) [26]

The production of synthetic fibers uses energy-intensive processes; in Europe, manufacturing textiles uses a significant portion of industrial energy (reported) [3]

In a typical LCA of a garment, raw material production can contribute 60–80% of total climate change impact (reported in LCA reviews) [27]

Spinning and weaving account for a smaller share than fiber production in LCA totals (LCA review) [27]

Transport can contribute 5–15% of life-cycle GHG in garment supply chains (LCA review) [27]

Washing and drying contribute a relatively small share compared with manufacturing for many garments (LCA review) [27]

Extending garment lifetime by 9 months reduces carbon footprint by about 20–30% (industry LCA/estimate) [28]

Reuse can reduce climate impact substantially compared to recycling or disposal (reported in WRAP) [29]

Recycling textiles often reduces emissions only marginally unless high-quality fiber-to-fiber is achieved (reported) [30]

Landfilling textiles results in methane emissions depending on composition; textiles contain degradable fractions (reported) [31]

Textile waste in landfill generates greenhouse gases; methane is a key component (EPA) [32]

Incineration with energy recovery reduces mass but still emits CO2; textiles are carbonaceous (IPCC context) [33]

Cotton farming uses significant fertilizer; nitrogen use drives N2O emissions (reported in FAO) [25]

Fertilizer application is a key driver of cotton’s carbon footprint in LCAs (FAO report) [25]

Organic cotton typically reduces some impacts; but still depends on yield (industry analysis) [34]

The average carbon footprint of clothing is commonly reported as hundreds of kg CO2e per item in LCA calculators (industry synthesis) [35]

A typical pair of jeans is estimated around 25 kg CO2e in some LCAs (calculator) [36]

A typical t-shirt carbon footprint is estimated around 2.6 kg CO2e (calculator) [36]

A typical hoodie carbon footprint is estimated around 14 kg CO2e (calculator) [36]

Polyester recycling can reduce GHG emissions compared with virgin polyester; one Ecoinvent-based study reports reductions around 30–60% depending on process (reported) [37]

Mechanical recycling typically yields lower-quality fibers and may require blending; lifecycle benefit depends on system allocation (OECD) [30]

Chemical recycling is under development; emissions depend on energy and feedstock type (study) [38]

Life-cycle GHG of polyester vs cotton: LCA comparisons often show polyester’s CO2 footprint lower than cotton’s in some scenarios (review) [39]

Life-cycle GHG of wool vs polyester: LCA comparisons show wool can vary widely (review) [39]

In apparel, the manufacturing of the fabric can be a majority share of footprint; for example, a study reports 60%+ from yarn and fabric production (study) [40]

The total GHG impact of a garment can be reduced by increasing lifetime by repair and reuse (reported) [41]

One analysis estimates that each extra use of a garment reduces per-use footprint; doubling lifetime halves footprint (LCA guidance) [42]

Anaerobic decomposition in landfill generates methane for biodegradable fractions; textile waste can contribute to methane emissions (EPA) [43]

Incineration produces CO2; emissions factor depends on waste carbon content (IPCC) [33]

Fashion production uses energy from electricity and heat; the IEA identifies energy use in manufacturing as major contributor (IEA) [14]

Textile sector contributes 1–2% of global energy consumption (IEA context) [14]

The IEA estimates that greenhouse gas emissions from textile waste could increase from 2.1 billion tonnes CO2e per year to 3.2–3.5 billion tonnes by 2050 (range in report) [14]

The IEA report states textile waste emissions could reach 2.8 billion tonnes CO2e by 2030 (if current trends) [14]

Recycling clothing can divert textiles from landfill, reducing emissions (EU approach) [3]

The clothing industry is responsible for around 1.7 billion tonnes CO2e in 2015 globally (commonly cited UNEP) [4]

Textile and clothing sector could account for 26% of the carbon budget by 2050 under current trajectories (cited by some studies) [44]

Globally, cotton cultivation occupies about 2.5% of the world’s agricultural land (FAO) [45]

Approximately 3 kg of CO2e are emitted per kg of dyed fabric in some dyeing process case studies (study) [26]

Heat and electricity demand in textile dyeing can be a major GHG driver (study) [26]

Synthetic textiles release microplastics into the environment, estimated at 35% of all primary microplastics released to the ocean [46]

Approximately 500,000 tons of microfibers are released into the ocean each year from washing textiles [47]

Textiles make up about 8% of municipal solid waste in the EU [3]

Only about 1% of clothing is recycled into new clothing in practice [6]

Fiber-to-fiber recycling rates are low; mechanical recycling often yields fiber degradation (reported in context of limited recycling loop) [30]

In the EU, the share of textiles collected separately is low; only about 25% of textile waste is collected separately (recycling preparation context) [3]

The EU generates around 5 million tonnes of textile waste annually [3]

In the EU, around 6.4 million tonnes of waste textiles are generated per year (EEA report) [5]

The US textile and apparel sector produced about 12.5 million tonnes of textile waste in 2018 (EPA context) [48]

In the US, textile waste generation increased to about 17 million tons in 2018 (EPA) [48]

Only 15% of textile waste is recycled in the US (EPA) [48]

In the UK, 1.2 million tonnes of textile waste were generated in 2017 (WRAP) [49]

In the UK, clothing and textiles make up 5% of household waste by weight (WRAP) [49]

Recycling rate of textiles globally is low, commonly around 1% to 15% depending on scope (review) [6]

Only 12% of garments are collected for reuse/recycling in some EU contexts (reported) [3]

In the EU, 63% of textile waste is landfilled or incinerated (EEA/Eurostat) [3]

Better collection systems can increase textile reuse and reduce waste (EU analysis) [3]

In 2018, the EU had a recycling rate for textiles of about 25% (policy baseline) [3]

Microfiber shed from polyester is higher than from natural fibers in some studies; e.g., one study reports polyester sheds more per mass [50]

Polyester knit fabrics release more fibers during washing than cotton in laboratory tests (study) [51]

Nylon shedding contributes to ocean microplastics; estimates show synthetic fibers are major sources (UNEP) [52]

In 2015, the fashion industry in the EU produced about 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste from textiles (context) [5]

Synthetic textiles contribute to microplastic pollution; UNEP estimates a major share of primary microplastics comes from textiles (UNEP) [46]

In the EU, textile waste is projected to increase; without policy action, waste could grow by 19% by 2030 (EEA) [53]

In the EU, textile waste may increase by 69% by 2030 relative to 2015 (policy analysis) [5]

Textile collection increases reuse; one study reports that increasing collection can raise reuse rates by several percentage points (EU study) [3]

Landfilling remains a major destination; in some European countries >50% of textiles go to landfill or incineration (EEA) [3]

In the EU, the share of textiles sent to landfill/incineration is around 63% (EEA) [3]

In the US, textiles sent to landfill or incineration were about 12.2 million tons in 2018 (EPA) [48]

In 2018, US textile recovery rate was about 15% (EPA) [48]

In 2018, US textile recycling was about 2.0 million tons (EPA) [48]

In 2018, US clothing and textiles contributed about 5.8% of total US municipal solid waste (EPA) [48]

Microfibers from synthetic textiles are a major contributor to primary microplastics; 35% estimate (UNEP) [46]

1 ton of textile waste can contain substantial plastic content if synthetics dominate (waste composition context) [30]

In the EU, textiles represent about 1% of municipal waste but are larger in mass of household waste (EEA) [3]

In the UK, only 16% of clothing is recycled into new products (WRAP) [54]

In the UK, 69% of clothing waste is disposed via landfill or incineration (WRAP) [54]

In France, textiles contribute about 7% of household waste by weight (study) [55]

Effluent loads from textile dyeing are among the highest of industrial sectors (UNEP) [52]

Microfiber counts released per wash can be in the order of millions of fibers for some textiles (experimental study) [50]

The mass of fibers released per wash for certain synthetics was reported around 0.1–0.3 grams in lab conditions (study range) [50]

Washing temperature can affect fiber shedding; lower temperatures reduce shedding (study) [51]

Textile finishing uses salts and chemicals; wastewater requires advanced treatment to reduce pollutant loads (UNEP) [52]

In the EU, textile waste is mostly not separately collected; only a fraction is collected (EEA) [5]

In the EU, 4 out of 10 kg of textiles are collected separately for reuse/recycling (estimate) [5]

Manufacturing of clothing uses about 79 billion cubic meters of water globally per year (global water use proxy reported with climate context for textile processing) [56]

Textile industry is responsible for 20% of global industrial water pollution [52]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that the industry could reduce demand for primary materials by 60% through circular solutions [6]

Dyeing and finishing processes are responsible for a significant share of industrial water pollution in textiles [52]

Cotton requires large water inputs; producing 1 kg of cotton may require around 10,000 liters of water (Water Footprint Network context) [57]

Textile sorting and processing is energy-intensive; sorting increases energy use (reported in waste management studies) [26]

Global textile dyeing uses large volumes of water and chemicals; the sector discharges untreated wastewater [52]

Fashion uses significant chemicals; textile production is among largest chemical consumers (UNEP context) [4]

Water use per kilogram for cotton is about 10,000 liters (water footprint study) [57]

Water footprint of polyester is dominated by upstream processes; reported blue water impacts are generally low compared to cotton (LCA) [58]

A life-cycle assessment review reports cotton’s water footprint as much higher than synthetics (review) [40]

Cotton uses about 6% of global insecticides (FAO) [45]

Cotton uses about 4% of global pesticides (FAO) [45]

Cotton production uses about 24% of global agricultural pesticides (FAO) (if stated) [45]

Dyeing produces wastewater containing salts and dyes; textile sector is linked to high pollution loads (UNEP) [52]

Fabric finishing (coatings) increases chemical oxygen demand potential (wastewater context) [52]