Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined
Around 20% of global industrial wastewater pollution comes from textile dyeing and finishing
The fashion industry produces nearly 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually
73% of global consumers would change their consumption habits to reduce their environmental impact
66% of respondents say they are willing to pay more for sustainable goods
Gen Z consumers are 1.5 times more likely to purchase a sustainable product compared to other generations
Polyester fiber production accounts for around 52% of the global fiber market
Global fiber production reached an all-time high of 113 million tonnes in 2021
Only 1.4% of global cotton production is organic
The global secondhand apparel market is expected to grow 3 times faster than the global apparel market overall
Resale is expected to reach $82 billion by 2026
62% of Gen Z and Millennials look for an item secondhand before purchasing it new
The global ethical fashion market size was valued at $6.35 billion in 2019
The ethical fashion market is expected to reach $10.11 billion by 2025 at a CAGR of 8.1%
The global sustainable fashion market is projected to reach $9.81 billion by 2025
Circular Economy & Resale
- The global secondhand apparel market is expected to grow 3 times faster than the global apparel market overall
- Resale is expected to reach $82 billion by 2026
- 62% of Gen Z and Millennials look for an item secondhand before purchasing it new
- Buying a used garment extends its life by 2.2 years on average
- The online rental clothing market is projected to reach $2.08 billion by 2025
- If everyone bought one secondhand item instead of new this year it would save 5.7 billion lbs of CO2e
- Secondhand clothing market is projected to double in the next 5 years
- 40% of standard apparel closets will consist of pre-owned clothing by 2029
- 70% of consumers have bought or are open to buying secondhand products
- Resale market grew 21 times faster than the retail apparel market over the last three years
- 1 in 2 people throw their unwanted clothes straight in the trash, skipping donation or recycling
- The clothing recycling market size is valued at over $5 billion globally
- Only 12% of clothing is recycled back into the global textile chain
- 45% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a brand that offers a buy-back program
- The resale market is projected to be larger than fast fashion by 2029
- 74% of retail executives say they are open to offering secondhand to their customers
- Clothing utilization (times worn) has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago
- Upcycling fashion market is witnessing a CAGR of over 10% in niche sectors
- 80% of consumers would recycle clothing if brands made it easier
- 120 million trees constitute the fabric volume that is disposed of in landfills annually by CanopyStyle estimates
Interpretation
These statistics prove that secondhand, rental, and upcycling are not a fashion flash in the pan but a tidal wave of consumer demand and corporate opportunity; with resale poised to eclipse fast fashion, Gen Z and millennials habitually checking preowned options first, and the simple choice to buy one used item capable of saving billions of pounds of CO2e, brands that ignore buy back, rental, and recycling programs risk losing both market share and moral credibility while mountains of textiles and the equivalent of 120 million trees still end up in landfills.
Consumer Behavior
- 73% of global consumers would change their consumption habits to reduce their environmental impact
- 66% of respondents say they are willing to pay more for sustainable goods
- Gen Z consumers are 1.5 times more likely to purchase a sustainable product compared to other generations
- 60% of consumers consider sustainability an important factor when making a purchase
- 88% of consumers want brands to help them be more environmentally friendly and ethical in their daily lives
- 42% of millennials say they would deepen a relationship with a business that has a positive impact on the environment
- 57% of consumers have made significant changes to their lifestyles to lessen their environmental impact
- Searches for "sustainable fashion" increased by 66% between 2018 and 2019
- 75% of consumers in 5 countries view sustainability as extremely or very important
- Only 29% of consumers trust brands' claims about sustainability
- 52% of consumers want the fashion industry to follow more sustainable practices
- 1 in 3 consumers have stopped purchasing certain brands due to ethical or sustainability concerns
- 43% of consumers are willing to pay a premium for packaging that is sustainable
- 30% of Gen Z shoppers have purchased secondhand clothing in the last 12 months
- Consumers are buying 60% more items of clothing than they did 15 years ago but keeping them for half as long
- 90% of Gen Z consumers believe companies have a responsibility to address environmental and social issues
- 65% of consumers say they want to buy high-quality items that last longer
- 50% of consumers would switch brands if they found a sustainable alternative
- 72% of consumers are buying more environmentally friendly products than they were five years ago
- Interest in "vegan leather" searches increased by 69% year-on-year in 2020
Interpretation
Together these stats tell a clear, slightly uncomfortable truth: most consumers—led by Gen Z—want and will pay for sustainable fashion, are increasingly hunting vegan and secondhand options and even switching brands over ethics, yet trust in sustainability claims is shockingly low and fast-fashion habits persist, so the industry faces a stark choice between meaningful change and losing customers.
Environmental Impact
- The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined
- Around 20% of global industrial wastewater pollution comes from textile dyeing and finishing
- The fashion industry produces nearly 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually
- Synthetic textiles largely responsible for the 35% of microplastics found in the world's oceans
- Less than 1% of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing
- It takes approximately 7,500 liters of water to make a single pair of jeans
- Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned
- Extending the life of a garment by just nine months can reduce its carbon, waste, and water footprint by 20-30%
- Washing clothes releases half a million tonnes of microfibers into the ocean every year
- Textile production generates 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year
- 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year rather than being recycled or reused
- The apparel industry's global emissions are projected to increase by 50% by 2030 if current trends continue
- The fashion industry consumes 93 billion cubic meters of water annually
- Conventional cotton framing is responsible for 24% of insecticides and 11% of pesticides used globally
- A single cotton t-shirt requires about 2,700 liters of water to produce, enough for one person to drink for 2.5 years
- 5.2% of waste in landfills globally constitutes textiles
- Footwear production accounts for 1.4% of global carbon emissions
- 350,000 tons of used clothing are exported from the UK to developing nations annually, often ending up in landfills there
- Soil degradation due to chemical-heavy cotton farming reduces future crop yields by 30%
- Dyeing and treatment of textiles is responsible for 17-20% of global industrial water pollution
Interpretation
Fashion today is a glamorous glutton that guzzles water and chemicals, emits more carbon than all flights and ships combined, sheds microplastics into the oceans, and buries or burns 85 percent of its output while recycling less than 1 percent—so our appetite for cheap, disposable clothes is literally dressing the planet for disaster unless we start buying less, making garments last, and recycling at scale.
Industry Growth & Financials
- The global ethical fashion market size was valued at $6.35 billion in 2019
- The ethical fashion market is expected to reach $10.11 billion by 2025 at a CAGR of 8.1%
- The global sustainable fashion market is projected to reach $9.81 billion by 2025
- Startups in sustainable fashion attracted over $1 billion in funding in 2021
- Brands attempting to ignore sustainability could see a 5.7% decline in EBIT margin by 2030
- The organic cotton market is estimated to reach $6.7 billion by 2027
- Investment in material innovation for textiles reached $2.2 billion in 2021
- The vegan women's fashion market is growing at a CAGR of 13.6%
- 60% of fashion executives have listed sustainability as a key profit driver
- The global eco-fiber market size was valued at $40.58 billion in 2019
- Eco-fiber market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% from 2020 to 2027
- Sales of clothes with sustainable claims grew 2.3 times faster than those without in 2020
- The global textile chemicals market size for sustainable solutions is projected to reach $26.8 billion by 2026
- Sustainable footwear market is expected to account for 8% of the total footwear market revenue by 2026
- The apparel repair and maintenance market is growing significantly and expected to reach $100 billion valuation if trends persist
- The global market for conducting textile recycling is projected to hit $9.4 billion by 2027
- 89% of investors now consider ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors in fashion investments
- The global faux leather market size is expected to reach $66.84 billion by 2030
- Green bonds in the fashion and textile sector have surpassed $10 billion in issuance
- Companies with high sustainability ratings outperform the market by 11% in the long run
Interpretation
Eco-fashion is no ethical hobby but a fast-maturing multi-billion dollar sector, expected to top roughly $10 billion by 2025 while startups drew over $1 billion in funding, 89% of investors now screen for ESG, sustainability minded firms tend to outperform by about 11% in the long run, and companies that ignore the shift face the tangible risk of eroding EBIT margins by around 5.7%.
Production & Supply Chain
- Polyester fiber production accounts for around 52% of the global fiber market
- Global fiber production reached an all-time high of 113 million tonnes in 2021
- Only 1.4% of global cotton production is organic
- 69% of the clothing industry’s carbon footprint is created in the raw material production stage
- 40 million people work in the garment industry globally, many without fair wages
- The number of garments produced annually has exceeded 100 billion
- Viscose production is responsible for the logging of 150 million trees annually
- Recycled polyester currently accounts for only 15% of total polyester production
- 98% of workers in the global fashion industry do not earn a living wage
- China produces over 50% of the world's total clothing output
- Up to 35% of all materials in the supply chain end up as waste before a garment reaches the consumer
- 80% of the energy used in the fashion industry is consumed in textile manufacturing
- Approximately 60% of all garments produced are made from synthetic fibers like polyester
- Leather production typically uses 250 chemicals causing significant health risks to workers
- Cotton production covers 2.5% of the world's arable land
- 77% of brands do not know where their raw materials come from
- The usage of hazardous chemicals in textile production has only decreased by 15% despite regulations
- 70% of the carbon footprint of a garment comes from the production of the fibers and fabric
- Only 20% of global textile companies have publicly disclosed their suppliers
- Man-made cellulosic fibers (like rayon) usage is expected to grow by 5-6% annually
Interpretation
The fashion industry now pumps out over 100 billion garments a year dominated by polyester and other synthetics, guzzles energy and land, fells millions of trees for viscose, hides where most raw materials and suppliers come from while barely recycling or using organic fiber, and leaves tens of millions of underpaid, chemically exposed workers to shoulder the real cost—what looks cheap on the rack is outrageously expensive for people and the planet.
References
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