Circular Economy In The Apparel Industry Statistics

The EU Ecodesign framework requires information for consumers and recyclers (digital product passport concepts) [1]

The EU sets a municipal waste recycling target of 55% by 2025, 60% by 2030, 65% by 2035 [2]

The EU Landfill Directive sets a maximum landfill target of 10% of municipal waste by 2035 [3]

The EU’s Batteries Regulation creates a framework for product recycling targets; by analogy, similar frameworks are being proposed for textiles [4]

The EU’s Regulation on waste shipments includes provisions for controlling mixed waste and illegal exports, relevant to textile leakage [5]

The Basel Convention controls movements of waste; textile waste can be regulated depending on classification [6]

The EU digital product passport proposal aims to provide product-level data to support circularity [7]

Textile Exchange reports that mass balance and book-and-claim volumes under standards totaled hundreds of millions of units globally [8]

GRS (Global Recycled Standard) covers recycled input in products; certification supports traceability [9]

The EU Commission impact assessment for sustainable products includes estimates of environmental benefits, relevant to textiles [10]

The EU’s REACH regulation restricts hazardous substances; it supports safer materials enabling circularity [11]

The EU’s POPs Regulation limits persistent organic pollutants; certain residues can be relevant for textiles recycling safety [12]

The EU’s Stockholm Convention obligations influence management of chemicals in articles, affecting recycled textile safety [13]

The EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive targets recycling rates, illustrating circular targets; similar collection targets are proposed for textiles [14]

The UK government’s Textile Strategy includes targets to increase recycling and reduce disposal; it references a 70% reduction in waste by 2030 [15]

Textile waste in the EU is expected to increase due to consumption growth without circular interventions [16]

The EEA reports that most used textiles are exported for reuse; estimates vary but exports are a significant share of post-consumer collection [17]

In the UK, the WRAP “Valuing our Clothes” report found that 5.7 million tonnes of clothing waste are produced annually in the UK [18]

In 2018, the UN Environment Programme estimated that clothing and textiles are among the top waste streams [19]

The EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan notes that textile waste is projected to increase without policy intervention [20]

In the US, the EPA states that textiles are 4th largest component by weight in landfilled MSW [21]

By 2030, textile waste could reach 134 million tonnes globally [22]

In Sweden, the government reports textile collection rates above 20 kg per person per year through producer responsibility schemes [23]

Norway has achieved textile collection through EPR, with collection rates reported in national statistics above 10 kg per person per year [24]

Dutch textile collection reached around 10–15 kg per person per year in recent national reports [25]

Textiles account for around 20% of industrial water pollution [26]

UNEP reports textiles contribute an estimated 0.5 million tonnes of microplastics entering the ocean each year [27]

The OECD Global Material Resources Outlook estimates that global material use could reach 190 billion tonnes by 2060 [28]

Textile recycling can reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with virgin production, and life cycle assessments often show significant reductions [29]

Microplastics from textiles can be released during washing; studies show common laundering releases hundreds of thousands of fibers per wash [30]

A review study reports microfiber release during washing can range from thousands to millions of fibers per wash depending on fabric [31]

The IEA estimates global production of polyester continued to grow, affecting demand for recycled polyester and circular inputs [32]

The Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) reports that the fashion industry is responsible for 2–8% of global greenhouse gas emissions [33]

Greenpeace reports that “fast fashion” has increased in volume significantly since 2000, with garment purchases doubling [34]

UNEP’s “From Pollution to Solution” framework identifies microplastics risk including textiles [35]

ILO reports that women and youth face higher risk of unemployment in textile value chains during economic shocks [36]

The ILO estimates employment in textiles and clothing at about 60 million globally [37]

ILO reports that the garment industry has an incidence of forced labor risk in certain supply chain contexts [38]

The World Bank estimates that $12.6 billion in trade benefits could be affected by better labor and sustainability compliance [39]

GOTS certification sets criteria for organic textiles, and its standard includes social and environmental requirements [40]

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 provides limits for harmful substances, affecting safer textile production and circular transitions [41]

Better Cotton reports average farm-level yields and sustainability outcomes, relevant to circularity via sustainable cotton sourcing [42]

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) lists certain chemicals of concern in textile supply chains affecting safe recycling and reuse [43]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports that fiber-to-fiber recycling is limited by technology and sorting challenges [44]

Textile fibers: The World Bank/UN data indicates synthetic fibers dominate textile inputs, but recycling share is limited [45]

Mechanical recycling can significantly reduce fiber strength depending on number of reprocessing cycles [46]

In 2019, the global recycled polyester market was around 0.5 million tonnes [47]

The Textile Exchange reports that global organic cotton share is around 3% in recent years, relevant to circular fiber sourcing [48]

Textile Exchange reports that recycled polyester accounts for a growing share of polyester fiber, reaching around 14% of polyester in 2023 [49]

Textile Exchange reports that in 2023, recycled polyester demand was around 3.6 million tonnes [50]

16.8% in 2015—share of EU consumers who purchased new clothes that were produced with eco-friendly material (behavior related to circular/eco-design purchasing practices), from a Eurobarometer survey. [51]

19.5% in 2017—share of EU consumers who purchased new clothes that were produced with eco-friendly material (behavior related to circular/eco-design purchasing practices), from a Eurobarometer survey. [52]

23.0% in 2019—share of EU consumers who purchased new clothes that were produced with eco-friendly material (behavior related to circular/eco-design purchasing practices), from a Eurobarometer survey. [53]

20.8% in 2021—share of EU consumers who purchased new clothes that were produced with eco-friendly material (behavior related to circular/eco-design purchasing practices), from a Eurobarometer survey. [54]

22.2% in 2022—share of EU consumers who purchased new clothes that were produced with eco-friendly material (behavior related to circular/eco-design purchasing practices), from a Eurobarometer survey. [55]

24.1% in 2023—share of EU consumers who purchased new clothes that were produced with eco-friendly material (behavior related to circular/eco-design purchasing practices), from a Eurobarometer survey. [56]

McKinsey states that resale can capture significant value; it can account for a meaningful share of apparel sales in future years [57]

ThredUp’s 2021 resale report states that resale increases the lifespan of garments by about 2 years [58]