Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
Americans throw away over 11 million tons of textile waste each year, much of which could be donated or recycled
Only 15% of used clothing in the United States is donated or recycled, while the rest ends up in landfills or is incinerated
The average US consumer throws away about 81 pounds of clothing each year
Recycling or donating just one T-shirt saves 2,700 liters of water
Clothing donations in the U.S. provided approximately 1 billion pounds of used textiles to charities and non-profit organizations in 2020
Nearly 100% of used clothing and textiles are recyclable, even if they are worn, torn, or stained
The global secondhand apparel market is expected to reach $218 billion by 2026, more than doubling from $96 billion in 2021
70% of the world's population uses secondhand clothes, often sourced from donations
Donating clothes extends the life of a garment by approximately 2.2 years on average, reducing its carbon, water, and waste footprints by 82%
Textile recycling diverts over 2.5 billion pounds of post-consumer textiles each year from landfills
Goodwill alone diverted 3 billion pounds of usable goods, including clothing, from landfills in 2021
The Salvation Army processes and resells or recycles around 100 million pounds of clothing and household items annually
Clothing and other textiles makeup 7.7% of all landfill waste in the U.S.
Consumer Behavior
- 64% of millennials buy secondhand clothing, often sourced from donations, to reduce environmental impact
- 56% of U.S. adults say they’ve donated clothing in the past year
- 1 in every 3 people in the U.S. use clothing donation bins for recycling their clothes
- 94% of Americans say they would donate clothing if they knew it would be reused or recycled responsibly
- Retailers that offer in-store donation or recycling have seen a 10-15% increase in foot traffic
- About 80% of Americans say they have clothing in their wardrobe they no longer wear, representing donation potential
- 68% of consumers say they are more likely to donate to brands that encourage recycling programs
- In Sweden, clothing donations to charities have increased by 40% in the past 5 years
- 59% of shoppers are willing to donate clothing if given easy access through in-store bins
Interpretation
As closets overflow with unworn clothes and eco-conscious millennials lead the charge, Americans are proving that giving your old jeans a second life might just be the most fashionable step toward saving the planet—and boosting retail foot traffic while we're at it.
Environmental Impact
- Textile recycling can reduce water consumption by up to 90% compared to making new textiles
- Reselling one used item reduces its carbon footprint by 82%, versus buying new
- About 10% of global carbon emissions come from the fashion industry; donations that reduce production help bring that number down
Interpretation
Donating your old jeans might not make you a superhero, but cutting carbon by 82% and saving 90% of the water is definitely a cape-worthy move in the fight against fashion's footprint.
Recycling and Donation Benefits
- Recycling or donating just one T-shirt saves 2,700 liters of water
- Clothing donations in the U.S. provided approximately 1 billion pounds of used textiles to charities and non-profit organizations in 2020
- Nearly 100% of used clothing and textiles are recyclable, even if they are worn, torn, or stained
- Donating clothes extends the life of a garment by approximately 2.2 years on average, reducing its carbon, water, and waste footprints by 82%
- Textile recycling diverts over 2.5 billion pounds of post-consumer textiles each year from landfills
- Goodwill alone diverted 3 billion pounds of usable goods, including clothing, from landfills in 2021
- The Salvation Army processes and resells or recycles around 100 million pounds of clothing and household items annually
- Thrift stores receive more than 4.5 billion pounds of donated clothes each year
- Each donated clothing item resold reduces carbon emissions by 5.3 pounds on average
- 45% of clothing donations are reused as apparel, 30% are cut into industrial rags, and 20% are processed into fiber products
- Donating clothing helps create more than 17,000 U.S. jobs in the textile recycling industry
- Donated clothes that are exported generate over $700 million in export revenue for the U.S. annually
- Only 2% of clothing material globally is recycled into new clothing, signaling room for improvement in donation and recycling programs
- Donating clothes is ranked among the top 5 actions to reduce your fashion footprint
- Clothing donation bins diverted nearly 650,000 tons of waste from landfills in 2021
- Donated clothes reduce greenhouse gases by diverting carbon-intensive textile production, saving over 15 million metric tons of CO₂ annually
- The market for recycled textiles, often comprised of donated clothing, is growing at a CAGR of 6.2%
- Only 0.1% of collected clothing donations are disposed in landfills when processed by reputable recyclers
- H&M's garment collecting program recycled over 29,000 tons of unwanted clothes in a single year
- Americans donate approximately 4.7 billion pounds of clothing annually
- Donating 10 pounds of cotton clothes saves as much energy as running a lightbulb for over 1,000 hours
- In the UK, 336,000 tons of clothing are donated to charities annually
- Clothing donations can help shelter animals, as many shelters use old textiles for bedding
- Fiber reclamation from donated clothing is used to make insulation, carpet padding, and automotive materials
- Clothing donation saves municipalities $200 million per year in landfill dumping fees
- Gently used business attire donated to Dress for Success has helped more than 1 million women enter the workforce
- Clothing donation programs have diverted 13 million pounds of clothing from landfills in NYC alone
- Nearly half a million tons of used clothing was exported from the U.S. in 2020
- Patagonia’s Worn Wear program recirculated 120,000 garments in 2021 alone
- The Clothing Bank in South Africa has redistributed 4 million garments to micro-businesses since its inception
- Donated clothing significantly supports natural disaster relief, with 200 million pounds delivered annually through various aid groups
- Traditional clothing recyclers can process up to 200,000 pounds of clothing per day
- Clothing donations to Planet Aid saved more than 20 million cubic feet of landfill space
- Walmart’s partnership with donation centers has facilitated collection of over 10 million pounds of clothing annually
- Recycled fibers from donated clothing reduce the need for virgin materials like cotton and polyester, each saving significant natural resources
- 1.5 million tons of textiles were recycled in the U.S. in 2018, largely fueled by consumer clothing donations
- One clothing donation box can collect up to 20,000 pounds of materials annually
- Donating clothes once a year could reduce your household textile waste footprint by up to 30%
- 90% of thrift store inventory comes from consumer clothing donations
- Donating clothing frees up 20–25% more closet space per household on average
- Baby and children’s clothing are among the most frequently donated apparel categories
- Each bag of donated clothes saves about 45 pounds of CO₂ emissions
Interpretation
Donating your old T-shirt might not seem heroic, but it saves 2,700 liters of water, shrinks your carbon footprint, fuels a billion-dollar export market, diverts millions of tons from landfills, creates thousands of jobs, and clears closet space—all while proving that fashion redemption is only one laundry bag away.
Thrift and Secondhand Market
- The global secondhand apparel market is expected to reach $218 billion by 2026, more than doubling from $96 billion in 2021
- 70% of the world's population uses secondhand clothes, often sourced from donations
- 70% of what charities collect in clothing is actually sold to textile recyclers or exported, not given away locally
- Resale has grown 21x faster than traditional retail apparel over the past three years, fueled by donations
- Up to 70% of used clothing donated worldwide ends up in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia
- Charity clothing shops report that nearly 50% of their income comes from donated clothes
- The average donated garment passes through seven hands before final use or recycling
- About 60% of global clothing donations go to resale markets abroad
- Vintage and secondhand shops report 35% more foot traffic during donation awareness campaigns
Interpretation
While your old sweater might not make it to your local shelter, it’s fueling a $218 billion global juggernaut where fashion’s afterlife is more international, industrial, and profitable than most donors ever imagine.
Waste and Landfill Statistics
- Americans throw away over 11 million tons of textile waste each year, much of which could be donated or recycled
- Only 15% of used clothing in the United States is donated or recycled, while the rest ends up in landfills or is incinerated
- The average US consumer throws away about 81 pounds of clothing each year
- Clothing and other textiles makeup 7.7% of all landfill waste in the U.S.
- In Canada, the average person throws away 37 kg of textiles annually, much of which could be donated
- Around 25 billion pounds of textiles are produced annually in the U.S., but only 15% is donated or recycled
- More than 53 million tons of fiber are produced yearly for clothing, yet over 73% ends up in landfills or incinerated
- 95% of textiles that are sent to landfills could be reused or recycled
- Textiles have one of the lowest recycling rates among common waste materials, underlining the importance of donations
Interpretation
In a world where 95% of discarded textiles could be reused but most are buried or burned instead, our throwaway culture is dressing landfills better than ourselves—one unworn outfit at a time.