Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The fashion industry contributes approximately 10% of global carbon emissions
Less than 1% of clothes are recycled into new garments globally
The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second
Americans throw away over 11 million tons of textile waste each year
Recycling 1 ton of textiles can save up to 20,000 liters of water
Textiles account for approximately 7% of global landfill space
The circular fashion market is projected to grow to $191 billion by 2030
Up to 87% of fibers used for clothing end up incinerated or landfilled
Only 20% of globally produced clothing is collected for reuse or recycling
Secondhand clothing sales expected to double to $77 billion by 2025
The average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing every year
95% of used textiles can be recycled or reused
The resale market is growing 11 times faster than traditional retail
Consumer Behavior
- Secondhand clothing sales expected to double to $77 billion by 2025
- The resale market is growing 11 times faster than traditional retail
- 60% of consumers are interested in purchasing more sustainable fashion
- Consumers wear garments 36% fewer times than they did 15 years ago
- The average item of clothing is worn only 7-10 times before being discarded
- 64% of global textile waste comes from household consumption
- The global fashion resale market has grown 21x faster than traditional retail over the last 3 years
- 45% of consumers prefer brands committed to sustainability
- 62% of Gen Z prefer to buy from sustainable brands
- The average garment in the UK is worn only 14 times
- 33% of people consider circular fashion when choosing a brand
- Only 1 in 3 consumers donate or recycle their unwanted clothes
Interpretation
As fast fashion fuels a wear-it-once culture drowning in textile waste, a savvy shift toward resale and circular fashion reveals that style is finally getting a conscience—and a booming second life.
Environmental Impact
- The fashion industry contributes approximately 10% of global carbon emissions
- Recycling 1 ton of textiles can save up to 20,000 liters of water
- The textile industry is responsible for 20% of global industrial water pollution
- Extending the life of clothing by just 9 months can reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints by 20–30%
- Synthetic clothes are responsible for 35% of microplastics in the ocean
- Secondhand garments can reduce carbon emissions by 25% per garment
- Recycling textiles can reduce the need for virgin materials, saving 20,000 tons of CO2 annually
- Upcycling can reduce the carbon footprint of a garment by more than 60%
- Recycled polyester creates 75% less CO2 emissions than virgin polyester
- 10% of global CO2 emissions come from fashion manufacturing
- Reusing one kilogram of clothing can avoid 25 kg of CO2 emissions
- Buying one used item reduces its carbon footprint by 82%
Interpretation
In a world where fashion struts a carbon-heavy runway, embracing secondhand, recycling, and longer-lasting clothing isn’t just stylish—it’s our planet’s best-dressed survival strategy.
Production and Resource Use
- Clothing production has doubled in the past 20 years
- Fast fashion has increased the average number of collections per brand from 2 to 24 per year
- Fashion is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply
- One pair of jeans takes 7,500 liters of water to produce
- 60% of clothing is made from plastic-based synthetic fibers
- Clothing resale reduces water consumption by up to 79%
- Recycling one ton of clothing can replace 20 barrels of oil used for virgin fibers
- Clothing made from recycled fibers can reduce energy usage by 30%
- Circular fashion initiatives can reduce freshwater use in textile industry by up to 45%
- Up to 98 million tonnes of non-renewable materials are used annually in clothing production
- Cotton production uses 24% of the world’s insecticides and 11% of pesticides
Interpretation
In a world where your jeans drink more water than you do, your t-shirt’s made of plastic, and fashion seasons now change quicker than a TikTok trend, embracing circular fashion isn’t just stylish—it’s survival chic.
Sustainable and Circular Fashion
- The circular fashion market is projected to grow to $191 billion by 2030
- Circular economy initiatives could unlock $560 billion in economic opportunities for the fashion industry
- The circular economy could reduce fashion's greenhouse gas emissions by 39%
- Reuse of clothing through circular fashion could displace 90 billion garments being produced
- Clothing repair could extend garment life by 2 years, reducing emissions by 25%
- Circular fashion could increase GDP by $4.5 trillion by 2030
- Circular fashion could reduce environmental costs of fashion by $700 billion per year
- Only 8.6% of the global economy is considered circular
- Reuse and rental business models could make up 23% of the global fashion market by 2030
- Circular models in fashion could create 18 million green jobs globally by 2030
- Circular business models could reduce clothing production by 33% by 2030
- Circular fashion markets in Europe grew 14% in 2022
- Secondhand sales could overtake fast fashion by 2030
- Circular design strategies could reduce textile waste by 90 million metric tons by 2030
- 80% of a garment’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage
- Circular fashion can reduce global food and water risks by 10%
Interpretation
Circular fashion isn’t just a trend—it’s a $4.5 trillion tailor-made solution for slashing waste, cutting emissions, creating millions of jobs, and stitching sustainability into the very fabric of the global economy.
Textile Waste and Recycling
- Less than 1% of clothes are recycled into new garments globally
- The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second
- Americans throw away over 11 million tons of textile waste each year
- Textiles account for approximately 7% of global landfill space
- Up to 87% of fibers used for clothing end up incinerated or landfilled
- Only 20% of globally produced clothing is collected for reuse or recycling
- The average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing every year
- 95% of used textiles can be recycled or reused
- 92 million tons of textile waste is generated each year globally
- Only 12% of clothing materials are downcycled
- 3 out of 5 fast fashion items end up in a landfill within a year of purchase
- Circular fashion could halve textile waste by 2030
- Only 15% of consumer-used textiles are recycled annually in the U.S.
- 84% of unwanted clothes in the U.S. end up in landfills or incinerators
- 25% of garments remain unsold by traditional retailers each season
- 70% of clothes donated globally end up in Africa
- 20% of fashion items are never sold or used
- Resale of pre-owned apparel could save 1 billion pounds of waste annually
- 75% of clothing donations are never sold in charity shops
- 73% of clothing is either landfilled or incinerated after use
- The average EU citizen consumes 26 kg of textiles and discards 11 kg each year
- Clothing rental services could reduce textile waste by 30%
- 94% of discarded textiles in the U.S. end up in landfills or are incinerated
Interpretation
Despite our closets overflowing, we’re burning, burying, or ignoring mountains of perfectly recyclable fashion—proving that when it comes to clothing, we buy like there’s no tomorrow and throw away like it's already gone.