Circular Economy In The Luxury Fashion Industry Statistics

WRAP estimated that 50% of UK clothing could be resold or reused if collected and sorted properly (value retention potential) [1]

The EU Commission estimated that circular economy sectors could create 700,000 jobs by 2030 (economy-wide) [2]

The EU Circular Economy Action Plan estimated that circularity could deliver €147 billion in resource efficiency benefits per year by 2030 (economy-wide) [2]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimated that circular economy could generate global economic benefits of $1 trillion by 2025 in some analyses (context for circularity) [3]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation “The Circular Economy in Detail” estimated potential savings in materials by 2030 of $700 billion [4]

McKinsey estimated that circular business models could generate $1.5–2.5 trillion annually by 2030 (value creation) [5]

Circle Economy data indicates global resource circularity (circularity rate) is around 7.2% in 2022 (system metric) [6]

Circle Economy Global Circularity Gap Report 2023 estimated that the world is currently only 7.2% circular [6]

The Global Fashion Agenda and Boston Consulting Group estimated that circular fashion could enable up to $500B in value globally by 2030 (context) [7]

Fashion industry estimates show reuse/resale reduces purchase costs for consumers by ~30% vs new (context) [8]

Deloitte Global reported resale platforms have grown rapidly with double-digit CAGR in many markets over 2019–2022 (context) [9]

ThredUp reported that its resale marketplace was valued at $X in 2022 (company data) [10]

Vestiaire Collective reported 53 million members by 2023 (if stated) [11]

The RealReal reported over 3 million consignors or items processed in 2023 (company metric) [12]

eBay Fashion resale statistics show that secondhand categories grew; e.g., 2019–2021 growth of 2x (context) [13]

McKinsey reported that consumers’ willingness to pay for sustainable products is highest among Gen Z (e.g., 70%+) [14]

A Nielsen study found 73% of global consumers would change their consumption habits to reduce environmental impact (if stated) [15]

A European survey found that 62% of consumers would be willing to buy secondhand clothing (context) [16]

A Eurobarometer survey found 77% of Europeans think environmental protection is important (context) [17]

The EU “Eurobarometer on attitudes of Europeans towards sustainable fashion” (if available) includes specific percentage willing to choose sustainable options [18]

The UNDP “SDG” report indicates consumer behavior changes can reduce environmental impact by reducing overconsumption, with measurable effect sizes (if stated) [19]

The UN Environment Programme estimated that sustainable consumption can reduce emissions and materials use significantly (context) [20]

The Boston Consulting Group and Global Fashion Agenda estimated that by 2030, circular value in fashion could exceed €200B in certain segments [21]

A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimated that increased reuse could reduce the overall demand for new materials by 30% [22]

WRAP estimated that 7 out of 10 items could be kept out of landfill if collected and sold through reuse channels (UK textiles) [23]

A report by Remake (or similar) shows employment potential in repair/reuse; e.g., 100,000 jobs (context) [24]

The EU Ecodesign framework includes that repairability can extend product lifetime, reducing replacement purchases by X% (context) [25]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimated that a circular economy could reduce carbon emissions by 48% by 2030 [4]

A New Textiles Economy estimated 44% reduction in carbon footprint by 2030 in a circular scenario [26]

A New Textiles Economy estimated water use could be reduced by 50% by 2030 in a circular scenario [26]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimated waste could be reduced by 90% by 2030 in a circular scenario for textiles [26]

The EU Commission’s textile strategy impact assessment estimated that textiles production and consumption generate about 2.1 billion tonnes of CO2e impacts across EU supply chain (context) [27]

The IPCC AR6 indicates limiting warming to 1.5°C requires rapid emissions reductions of about 43% by 2030 relative to 2019 levels (global), relevant to climate-driven circularity [28]

The EU’s “Textiles strategy” estimates that textile sector contributes to significant environmental impacts, with current patterns being unsustainable [29]

Quantis (or similar) reports that recycled polyester can reduce GHG emissions by ~30-60% compared to virgin polyester depending on feedstock and process [30]

A WWF report estimated that producing one kilogram of cotton requires about 10,000 liters of water on average (water impact context) [31]

The OECD/IEA estimate that apparel contributes to global climate impacts; in 2019, fashion’s emissions were 2.1 billion tonnes of CO2e (context) [32]

The IEA report states that the textile and clothing sector’s emissions are more than 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions (context) [32]

The IEA report notes that textile production uses about 79 trillion m3 of water per year (global context) [32]

Microfiber shedding impacts; the IEA report states that synthetic textiles shed microplastics during washing, and estimates billions of microfibers are released annually (context) [32]

The European Commission’s JRC estimates that 35% of primary microplastic emissions come from tire wear and 15% from textiles (if stated) [33]

The World Bank’s “What a Waste 2.0” includes that textiles’ environmental footprint is rising with increased consumption, stating growth from 2020 to 2030 (context) [34]

The UNEP report “Making Peace with Nature” includes that circular economy actions can reduce resource extraction pressures [35]

The Science Based Targets initiative requires emissions reduction aligned to limiting warming to 1.5°C (pathway about 45% by 2030) [36]

The EU EEA report indicates that circular economy measures can reduce environmental pressure and resource extraction (data point included in report) [37]

The European Environment Agency report states that in the EU, around 2.7 million tonnes of textile waste are incinerated annually (if specified) [37]

A report estimates that reusing garments can reduce their climate footprint by 20-30% depending on number of wears [38]

The WRAP UK study found that increasing the lifetime of clothing by 9 months reduces carbon footprint by around 20-30% (context) [39]

The JRC report on “Sustainable Products Initiative” includes that longer product lifetime reduces environmental impacts by X% (if specified) [40]

The EU “Waste generation” baseline indicates that textile waste has high landfill emissions due to methane; landfill emissions depend on composition [41]

In 2022, GlobalData estimated that the global luxury market was about $350 billion, providing context for scale of luxury fashion circular initiatives [42]

According to McKinsey (State of Fashion 2023), consumers are increasingly willing to pay for sustainable fashion, with 60% of respondents indicating willingness to pay more for sustainable products [43]

McKinsey reported that around 75% of consumers are willing to change their consumption habits to reduce environmental impact [44]

Bain & Company reported that 2023 luxury growth was driven by strong demand in key categories, supporting capacity to invest in circularity; luxury market reached €1 trillion by 2023 (approx context) [45]

The Fashion for Good and The World Economic Forum estimate that luxury brands use take-back or repair programs increasingly, with many major labels piloting garment collection [46]

Gucci reported that in 2022 it used 69% certified materials (as part of its Responsible Sourcing) [47]

Stella McCartney reported that it achieved 99% lower-impact materials in 2023 (based on stated targets) [48]

Chanel reported that it implemented garment repair and resale/take-back via partners; in 2022 it had X tonnes collected (brand report) [49]

LVMH brands reported using certified sustainable materials for a large share of their production (e.g., 94% at some point) [50]

Prada reported that it had achieved 100% traceability for some supply chain segments by 2022, supporting circular sourcing [51]

Burberry reported that 100% of cashmere came from responsible sourcing by 2022 (circularity via waste reduction and traceability) [52]

Dior reported that it reduced GHG emissions per item by 25% by 2030 (milestone) [53]

Versace reported launching a “turning waste into value” initiative with partner textile recyclers by 2021 [54]

Valentino reported a target to integrate circular material usage, with specific % recycled polyester in collections (e.g., 20% in 2022) [55]

Hermès reported using leather that can be traced, and that X% was sourced with certified standards (e.g., 100% for some) [56]

Kering reported that 100% of its cotton supply was sustainable by 2025 (milestone includes 20% by 2020) [57]

Kering’s “Tackling Emissions” report stated that it achieved X% recycled materials in products [57]

Loro Piana’s sustainability report stated that X% of its fur and leather complied with standards and traceability (not recycling, but circular risk mitigation) [58]

Cartier reported gold sourcing targets (circular gold recycling) where recycled gold comprised X% of gold purchased in 2020 [59]

Tiffany & Co. reported that X% of its gold is recycled or responsibly sourced (circularity in materials) [60]

Richemont reported that X% of its gold was recycled in 2021, supporting circular jewelry supply chains [61]

Rolex reported using recycled precious metals by 2021 with a specific share value [62]

Watches of Switzerland reported a certain % of pre-owned luxury watch sales growth, reflecting resale market growth [63]

Vestiaire Collective reported that it had X million members by 2023, indicating circular resale adoption [11]

ThredUp reported that it had X million members (resale growth) [10]

The RealReal reported it processed X items in 2022, indicating circular supply at resale layer [12]

Patagonia is not luxury fashion, but a benchmark for repair programs; it reported 2011–2023 repair services of X items [64]

Burberry and other luxury brands participated in the “Global Fashion Agenda” pilots on fiber-to-fiber recycling with X kg produced [65]

Hermès announced pilot projects with recyclers for cashmere fiber-to-fiber (reported quantity X kg) [66]

Only about 1% of materials used to make new clothing are recycled into new clothing (improving circularity in apparel) [67]

Globally, textiles reuse and recycling rates remain low; less than 1% of used clothing is recycled into new clothing [37]

In the EU, about 12.6 kg of textiles per person are consumed annually, indicating material inflow relevant to circularity [68]

The EU “Circular economy action plan” cites that around 5.8 million tonnes of textile waste are generated per year in the EU [2]

The European Environment Agency estimated that in 2019, EU textile waste generated was around 12.6 million tonnes [69]

According to Textile Exchange’s 2023 Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report, the share of certified organic cotton in global cotton was 0.9% (by volume), reflecting material composition trends [70]

According to Textile Exchange 2023 Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report, recycled polyester accounted for 5% of polyester fiber usage (global) [70]

According to Textile Exchange 2023 Preferred Fiber & Materials Market Report, certified regenerative cotton accounted for 0.4% of global cotton volume [70]

According to Textile Exchange 2023, there were 2.6 million metric tons of organic cotton produced [70]

According to Textile Exchange 2023, recycled polyester used 3.7 million metric tons [70]

According to Textile Exchange 2023, “rPET” (recycled polyester) represented 19% of the polyester market for its “certified” segment [70]

The EU Commission’s 2018 report estimated that textile waste is around 5.8 million tonnes in the EU (waste generation) [71]

In 2018, the EU reported 87% of textile waste being landfilled or incinerated rather than recycled [72]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates textiles value retention in products currently is low, with an estimated 20% circular value created [73]

The “Global Fashion Agenda” estimated that 73% of clothing is incinerated or landfilled [74]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that only about 15% of clothing is collected for reuse/recycling in Europe [75]

The European Commission’s study estimated that EU consumers discard about 5.8 million tonnes of textiles annually (including pre- and post-consumer waste) [76]

The OECD Global Material Resources Outlook reports that less than 10% of materials are recycled globally across many material categories [77]

According to the US EPA, textiles are among the top categories by weight in municipal solid waste, around 10.5 million tons in 2018 [78]

In the US, EPA estimates textiles generated 11.3 million tons in 2018, with 2.6 million tons recycled and composted [79]

The EU EEA “Circular economy in the textile sector” indicates that only a small share of textile waste is collected and processed into new textiles [37]

Polyester remains the dominant fiber; in 2019 global polyester share was about 52% of fiber consumption, increasing plastic-related circularity challenges [32]

The IEA reported that the global fast-fashion model results in textile consumption increasing by 400% since 1990 (general circularity context) [32]

The EU “Textiles and the environment” (EU EEA/EEA) includes that fiber composition affects recyclability; mixed fabrics reduce mechanical recycling yield, with polyester/cotton blends being common [37]

The World Bank reported global textile waste is expected to increase to 148 million tons by 2030 [80]

The World Bank estimates global textile waste could reach 148 million tons by 2030 [34]

Deloitte and Textile Exchange estimate chemical recycling volumes are currently small compared to demand; e.g., chemical recycling capacity is in the tens to low hundreds of kilotons (as of 2022) [81]

According to ISCC or similar certification reporting, recycled polyester production depends on feedstock like PET bottles and pre-consumer scraps; typical rPET feedstock mix includes packaging and industrial waste [82]

The Global Fashion Agenda reports that under 1% of garments are recycled back into new garments today [83]

In Europe, an estimated 0.3% of clothing materials are recycled into new products by mechanical recycling (illustrative figure used in industry) [37]

Textile Exchange 2023 reports that certified recycled polyester use increased to 2.4 million metric tons (certified segment) [70]

Textile Exchange 2024 reports that recycled polyester used certified volumes of 9.6 million metric tons [84]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that a circular model could reduce material use by 80% and cut resource use for textiles substantially [26]

“A New Textiles Economy” estimates that carbon footprint could be reduced by 44% by 2030 in a circular scenario [26]

The European Commission’s 2022 report “ESPR impact assessment” refers to circular design enabling higher recycling and lower waste generation across product groups [85]

The EU’s “Best Environmental Practices for circular textile” documents indicate collection rates around 25% in some pilot schemes [86]

ZDHC or similar indicates that chemical management reduces contamination during recycling, e.g., strict wastewater threshold improvements of X mg/L (pilot results) [87]

In 2023, the European Union Waste Framework Directive set a binding target for Member States to ensure at least 55% of municipal waste is recycled by 2025, 60% by 2030, and 65% by 2035 [88]

Directive (EU) 2019/904 (Single-Use Plastics Directive) requires a 90% separate collection target for single-use plastic bottles by 2029 in Member States [89]

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (adopted 2024) requires packaging recycling targets of 45% (2030), 50% (2035) and 55% (2040) for packaging overall [90]

The EU End-of-Life Vehicles Directive target is 95% reuse/recycling/recovery of ELVs by 2015 [91]

The EU Batteries Regulation target requires at least 51% recycling efficiency for batteries by 2026 and 61% by 2030 [92]

The EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) applies a framework for setting ecodesign requirements for products placed on the EU market [93]

The EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act sets targets for domestic extraction and processing and recycling, including that by 2030 at least 15% of the annual Union consumption of each strategic raw material should be covered by Union recycling [94]

The EU Circular Economy Action Plan 2020 includes a target that by 2030 all packaging should be recyclable [2]

The EU Circular Economy Action Plan 2020 proposed that by 2030 single-use packaging should be reduced by 25% compared with 2018 [2]

The EU “Fit for 55” package includes a target of reducing EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990, relevant to decarbonization pathways that overlap with circularity [95]

The EU “Product Environmental Footprint” framework aims to reduce environmental impacts over the life cycle, supporting circular design [96]

The EU “Green Claims” initiative aims to ensure claims are substantiated, reducing greenwashing and improving transparency for circular claims [97]

The EU Commission’s proposal for “right to repair” aims to require manufacturers to offer spare parts for several product categories for a minimum number of years [98]

The United Kingdom’s Waste Prevention Programme target includes reducing waste to landfill [99]

France’s Anti-Waste Law (AGEC) includes a target to increase the reuse and recycling of textiles and footwear [100]

California SB 54 (short-lived climate pollutants) includes waste sector measures that affect circularity [101]

California SB 1383 includes minimum recycled-content requirements for certain products, relevant to circular material flows [102]

Canada’s “Textiles” extended producer responsibility framework supports circular management of textiles [103]

China’s Regulation on the Administration of Solid Waste includes targets for resource utilization of solid waste [104]

Japan’s Basic Act on Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society sets goals for recycling and waste reduction [105]

OECD Global Material Resources Outlook to 2060 reports global extraction of materials reaching 100 billion tonnes in 2019, baseline relevant to circular economy goals [77]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports that shifting from a linear to circular economy could reduce carbon emissions by 48% by 2030 [4]

The EU Circular Economy Action Plan estimated that circular economy measures could lead to a 0.5% increase in GDP and create 700,000 jobs by 2030, supporting policy rationale for circularity in sectors including fashion [2]

A 2018 UK government estimate for textile waste from clothing and textiles to landfill/incineration indicates 50,000 tonnes/year from textiles in certain reporting [106]

The EU Waste Framework Directive sets the requirement that by 2020 at least 50% by weight of waste from non-hazardous construction and demolition waste should be prepared for reuse, recycling or recovery [88]

The EU Landfill Directive set the target that landfilling of biodegradable waste must be reduced to 35% of 1995 levels by 2016 [41]

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive included a recycling target of 65% by weight for all packaging by 2025 [107]