Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions
The clothing industry is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply
One pair of jeans requires about 7,500 liters of water to produce
The average consumer buys 60% more garments each year and keeps them for half as long compared to 15 years ago
The textile industry produces about 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent per year
20% of global wastewater comes from fabric dyeing and treatment
Half a million tons of synthetic microfibers are released into the ocean every year from washing clothes
87% of the total fiber input used for clothing is either incinerated or disposed of in a landfill
The fashion industry uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually
Washing synthetic textiles releases approximately 35% of primary microplastics in oceans
Textile dyeing is the second-largest polluter of water globally
Production of polyester releases 3 times more carbon than cotton
An estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created each year
Consumer Behavior and Usage
- The average consumer buys 60% more garments each year and keeps them for half as long compared to 15 years ago
- An estimated $500 billion is lost every year due to underutilized clothing and lack of recycling
- The average garment is worn only 7 to 10 times before disposal
Interpretation
Fast fashion may be dressing us cheaply, but it's costing the planet dearly—one barely-worn garment and $500 billion at a time.
Environmental Impact
- The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions
- The textile industry produces about 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent per year
- 20% of global wastewater comes from fabric dyeing and treatment
- Half a million tons of synthetic microfibers are released into the ocean every year from washing clothes
- Washing synthetic textiles releases approximately 35% of primary microplastics in oceans
- Textile dyeing is the second-largest polluter of water globally
- Production of polyester releases 3 times more carbon than cotton
- The fashion industry emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined
- Cotton production accounts for 24% of global insecticide use and 11% of pesticides
- Apparel and footwear industries account for 8.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions
- Making a single polyester shirt emits 5.5 kg of CO2
- Cotton cultivation is responsible for around 220 million tons of CO2 emissions annually
- Used clothing exports from developed to developing countries contribute to local environmental degradation
- Burning unsold fashion items contributes to unnecessary carbon and toxic emissions
- Polyester production releases two to three times more carbon emissions than cotton
- The average fashion product travels 20,000 km from production to retail
- Microfibers from clothing are found in 83% of the world’s tap water
- The fashion industry is projected to increase emissions by 50% by 2030
- Bleaching, dyeing, and finishing contribute to 36% of fashion industry emissions
- China is responsible for over 50% of global textile production emissions
- Jeans production emits 33.4 kg of CO2 per pair
- Garment manufacturing emits 1.7 billion tons of CO2 equivalents per year
- Just 20 companies are responsible for over half of garment-related emissions
- Nylon production emits nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 298 times more potent than carbon dioxide
- Leather tanneries create high levels of ground and water pollution from chromium and other toxins
- EU's textile consumption is the fourth highest pressure category for environmental and climate change
- Every kilogram of dye used in textile dyeing can pollute up to 100,000 liters of water
- In Bangladesh, over 200 textile factories discharge untreated waste into rivers daily
- Clothing accounts for roughly 5% of personal consumption emissions in developed nations
- More than 60% of textiles used are made from fossil fuels
- 35% of all microplastics in the ocean are from synthetic textiles
- Garment production in Asia is associated with coal-heavy energy use, increasing carbon intensity
- Textiles cause more ecological damage than plastic bags per kilogram of material
- Footwear manufacturing contributes significantly to heavy metal water pollution
Interpretation
The fashion industry may dress us in style, but behind the seams it’s a global pollutant powerhouse—emitting more carbon than planes and ships combined, dyeing rivers with toxins, shedding plastic into oceans with every wash, and proving that fast fashion comes at a slow death for the planet.
Industry Practices and Ethics
- Clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014
- Garment workers often suffer chemical exposure from unsafe dyes and processing chemicals
- Petrochemical-derived fabrics represent about 60% of global clothing materials
- Sustainable fashion only represents about 1% of the entire market
- Clothing manufacturing uses over 1,900 chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic
- Extended producer responsibility for textiles is less than 1% globally
- Globally, 80 billion garments are produced each year
- About 10% of pesticides used globally are for cotton farming
- Luxury brands have been criticized for destroying $37 million of unsold goods in one year
- The U.S. exports over 700,000 tons of used clothing annually
Interpretation
In a world where fast fashion churns out 80 billion garments a year using petrochemicals and carcinogens, exploits underpaid workers, wastes unsold luxury goods, and leaves only 1% of the market to sustainability, it seems our closets are fuller than our consciences.
Waste and End-of-Life Disposal
- 87% of the total fiber input used for clothing is either incinerated or disposed of in a landfill
- An estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created each year
- Around 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year
- The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second
- Synthetic fabrics like polyester can take up to 200 years to decompose
- The average American throws away about 81 pounds of clothing per year
- Less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new garments globally
- Only 20% of global clothing is collected for reuse or recycling
- 16.9 million tons of textile waste were generated in the U.S. in 2017
- Less than 30% of unwanted clothing donated is resold in stores
- Fast fashion production leads to 30% of clothing never sold, ending as waste
- Each year, around 300 million pairs of shoes are thrown away
- Mobile incinerators are used by brands to destroy surplus clothing
- Discarded textiles represent about 5% of landfill space globally
- Each year, more than 16 million tons of clothing end up in landfills in the U.S. alone
- Only 15% of textiles are collected for recycling globally
Interpretation
In a world where fashion changes by the season, our closets aren't the only things overflowing—87% of clothing ends up burned or buried, less than 1% is reborn, and waste piles high at a rate of one garbage truck per second, proving that what we wear is costing us the Earth.
Water and Resource Consumption
- The clothing industry is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply
- One pair of jeans requires about 7,500 liters of water to produce
- The fashion industry uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually
- It takes about 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt
- The fashion sector is projected to use 35% more land for cotton agriculture by 2030
- The dyeing process uses enough water to fill 2 million Olympic-sized swimming pools each year
- Clothing production uses over 1.5 trillion liters of water annually
- Manufacturing 1 kg of textiles can consume up to 200 liters of water
- 98 million tons of oil are used annually to produce synthetic fibers
- Tanning one ton of hides requires up to 50 m3 of water
- Manufacturing 1 kg of cotton uses up to 20,000 liters of water
Interpretation
Fashion may dress us to impress, but behind every trendy tee and denim dream lies a staggering wardrobe of water waste, oil slicks, and land grabs—proof that our style obsession may be the thirstiest, oiliest love affair on Earth.