Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The average American throws away approximately 81 pounds of clothing every year
Only 15% of used clothing is recycled or donated in the U.S.
Textiles account for 5.8% of the total municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in the U.S.
The U.S. generated 17 million tons of textile waste in 2018
Only 2.5 million tons of textiles were recycled in the U.S. in 2018
About 85% of all textiles discarded in the U.S. — 13 million tons — end up in landfills or are incinerated
The fashion industry contributes 10% of global carbon emissions
Recycling one ton of textiles can avoid over 20 tons of CO2 emissions
Cotton clothing takes 1 to 5 months to decompose, while synthetic materials can take centuries
Textile recycling reduces the need for virgin fibers, saving water and energy
A single pair of jeans requires 1,800 gallons of water to produce
95% of discarded clothing can be recycled or reused
Clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014
Consumer Behavior and Consumption
- Clothing utilization has decreased by 36% globally in the last 15 years
- Individuals now keep clothing items about half as long as they did 15 years ago
- 1 in 2 people throw their unwanted clothes straight into the trash
- The average garment is only worn 7–10 times before disposal
- Thrift shopping has cut demand for new clothing by 38%
- 60% of people buy more clothes than they need
- Clothing rental and resale markets are projected to grow to $64 billion by 2025
- The average American buys 68 garments per year
- One in three young women consider clothes worn once or twice to be old
- 94% of retailers see circularity as an opportunity for growth
- Demand for secondhand clothing is expected to grow by 127% by 2026
- Thrifted clothing market grew 21 times faster than conventional retail in 2022
- 70% of people are unaware clothes can be recycled
- Up to 30% of garments in wardrobes have not been worn for at least a year
- Global clothing sales doubled in 15 years, while garment use decreased by 40%
- Rewearing one item 50 times instead of 10 reduces emissions by 400%
- Each person in Europe consumes an average of 26 kg of textiles annually, generating about 11 kg of waste
Interpretation
In a world where fast fashion moves faster than our conscience, we're buying more clothes than ever, wearing them less than ever, and trashing our planet in the name of style—proving that while trends may be circular, our clothing habits are anything but sustainable.
Environmental Impact
- The fashion industry contributes 10% of global carbon emissions
- Recycling one ton of textiles can avoid over 20 tons of CO2 emissions
- Cotton clothing takes 1 to 5 months to decompose, while synthetic materials can take centuries
- Textile recycling reduces the need for virgin fibers, saving water and energy
- 35% of microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic textiles
- Extending the life of clothing by an extra nine months reduces carbon, waste, and water footprints by 20-30%
- Clothing reuse saves 14.3 pounds of CO2 per pound reused
- Landfilled textiles produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as they decompose
- It takes 40 years for polyester clothing to decompose
- Textile recycling requires 90% less water than producing garments from virgin fibers
- Reselling used clothing reduces waste and demand for new clothing, lowering environmental impact
- Fashion is responsible for 20% of global industrial water pollution
- It takes up to 200 years for synthetic fabric to decompose
- Clothing and footwear production makes up 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions
- Every recycled ton of textiles saves up to 20,000 liters of water
- Recycling clothes instead of landfilling can reduce ocean microfibers by 26%
- U.S. textile recycling industry saves over 1 billion pounds of CO2 emissions annually
- Wool, when landfilled, produces methane as it degrades
- Buying one used item reduces its carbon footprint by 82%
- Washing synthetic clothing releases 500,000 tons of microfibers each year
- 2.1 billion tons of CO2 equivalent will be emitted annually by the fashion industry by 2030
- Fashion’s greenhouse gas emissions will surge more than 50% by 2030 if no action is taken
- Textiles in landfills can take up to 200 years to decompose
- Global textile production emits 1.2 billion tons of CO2 annually
- Textile recycling can reduce the fashion industry’s environmental impact by up to 20%
- Landfilling 1,000 tons of textiles produces 3 metric tons of methane annually
- Textile reuse saves land and energy compared to incineration
- Clothing dyeing and treatment causes 20% of worldwide water pollution
- Clothing represents the largest source of synthetic fibers in the ocean
Interpretation
The fashion industry may dress us up, but without serious textile recycling, it's undressing the planet—thread by thread, ton by toxic ton.
Production and Manufacturing Practices
- A single pair of jeans requires 1,800 gallons of water to produce
- Clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014
- 62% of clothing is made from synthetic fibers derived from fossil fuels
- 53 million tons of clothing are produced worldwide annually
- Fast fashion production increased 400% between 2000 and 2018
Interpretation
Fast fashion may clothe us cheaply, but with 1,800 gallons per jean, fossil-fueled fabrics, and 53 million tons of waste a year, it’s costing the planet a fortune we can’t afford.
Recycling and Reuse Rates
- Only 15% of used clothing is recycled or donated in the U.S.
- Only 2.5 million tons of textiles were recycled in the U.S. in 2018
- 95% of discarded clothing can be recycled or reused
- Only 0.1% of recycled apparel is reused to make new clothes
- 9% of all textile waste was recycled in 2018
- H&M collected 29,005 tons of textiles for reuse and recycling in 2021
- Only 1% of clothing is recycled into new garments
- Textile recycling supports circular economy models by recirculating materials
- Only 12% of materials used in clothing are recycled globally
- 80% of discarded textiles are landfilled or incinerated
- Clothing recycling diverts 2.5 billion pounds from U.S. landfills annually
- Donated clothing that is not sold is often exported or downcycled
- 95% of landfill-bound clothing is recyclable
- Less than 1% of used garments are recycled back into clothing globally
Interpretation
Despite our best-dressed intentions, the fashion industry's recycling record is more threadbare than trendsetting—with less than 1% of used garments reborn as new clothes and mountains of salvageable fabric strutting straight to the landfill.
Waste Generation
- The average American throws away approximately 81 pounds of clothing every year
- Textiles account for 5.8% of the total municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in the U.S.
- The U.S. generated 17 million tons of textile waste in 2018
- About 85% of all textiles discarded in the U.S. — 13 million tons — end up in landfills or are incinerated
- Used textiles are the fastest growing solid waste in the U.S.
- Around 70 pounds of textiles per U.S. citizen end up in landfills annually
- Textile waste increased by 811% between 1960 and 2018 in the U.S.
- 50 million tons of clothing are discarded every year globally
- In the UK, 300,000 tonnes of clothing are sent to landfill each year
- 26 billion pounds of textiles are thrown away every year globally
- It costs New York City $20.6 million a year to dispose of textile waste
Interpretation
Despite our best-dressed intentions, we're fashioning a global crisis—throwing out mountains of clothing at such a rate that textile waste is now growing faster than our closets, our conscience, and unfortunately, our planet can handle.