Fashion Environmental Impact Statistics

In 2015, textile production was responsible for about 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2e (greenhouse gas emissions) [1]

The fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions [2]

Fashion’s use phase accounts for the majority of impacts for many categories (especially GHG and energy), but end-of-life is a major contributor to waste [3]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports that clothing use is falling and consumption is increasing, driving impacts; the average number of times a garment is worn has declined to about 7–10 times (reported figure) [4]

The average consumer in the EU buys about 26 kg of textiles per year [5]

Total textile production reached about 100 million tonnes globally in 2014 and has continued growing [6]

Global clothing consumption increased between 2000 and 2014 by about 40% [7]

The fashion industry’s value chain uses significant energy; production contributes substantial GHG relative to other stages [8]

Textile production emissions have been estimated at 2.1 kg CO2e per kilogram of textiles in some analyses (reported factor) [9]

Synthetic textiles (like polyester) are derived from fossil fuels, increasing GHG emissions relative to natural fibers [10]

In 2018, production of polyester (by far the dominant synthetic fiber) was about 55 million tonnes [11]

Globally, polyester accounts for roughly 60% of fiber consumption [12]

Fast fashion leads to higher turnover; the average number of collections per brand has increased to multiple times per year (industry reports) [13]

The EU’s “Textiles in Europe’s environment” report indicates that textiles have a typical lifespan shorter than many durable goods [14]

A life cycle assessment often shows that the use stage dominates total energy/CO2 for many garments (reported in studies) [15]

Household washing temperature and frequency significantly affect the carbon footprint of garments (reported in LCAs) [16]

In 2018, the amount of textiles consumed by UK households was about 26 kg per person per year [17]

In 2019, global garment production was about 80 billion pieces (estimate) [18]

The textile and apparel sector contributes to 2–8% of total global GHG emissions in some assessments [19]

The Global Burden of Disease-linked assessment includes air pollution impacts from textile-related activities, but direct fashion air stats are limited (not used) [20]

By 2050, apparel and footwear demand is expected to increase substantially (projection 3x to 4x by 2050) [21]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation cites that 500 billion garments are produced each year globally (commonly cited by EMF/others) [22]

In 2019, the global market for textiles and clothing was about $1.5 trillion (industry scale) [23]

Polyester production is linked to crude oil and gas extraction; the industry is significant for fossil fuel demand (linked estimate) [24]

Rayon/viscose production is linked to deforestation and forest degradation pressures (proxy stats) [25]

In some LCAs, compared to cotton, polyester can have lower freshwater impact but higher GHG due to fossil inputs (reported) [26]

In 2019, the IEA reported petrochemical output growth that supports increased synthetic fiber production (macro stat) [27]

In 2016, the average global user of a “fast fashion” garment wears it fewer times before disposal (reported in surveys as 7–10 times) [28]

In 2019, the average EU citizen consumed textiles of 26 kg per year (again per EEA) [29]

In 2018, average clothing use duration in the EU was around 3.3 years (reported) [30]

In 2017, global textile production included about 26 million tonnes of cotton (reported) [31]

In 2019, global apparel production was about 100 billion garments (estimate) [32]

In 2018, the global textile industry produced about 92 million tonnes of textile waste (including pre-consumer and post-consumer waste) [33]

Over half (52%) of global microplastic pollution comes from textile fibers [34]

About 72% of clothes are disposed of in landfills or via incineration after use [35]

Only about 15% of textile waste is collected for reuse/recycling in the EU (2018 estimate referenced widely) [36]

In the U.S., in 2018, textiles made up about 8.7 million tons of municipal solid waste [37]

In the U.S., textile waste is about 5.8% of municipal solid waste by weight [38]

Microfibers shed during washing can be a major source of aquatic microplastic pollution, and laundry wastewater has been shown to contain fiber concentrations commonly in the hundreds to thousands per liter (reported range) [39]

In 2018, consumers in the EU generated 6.4 million tonnes of textile waste [40]

The EU estimates that textile waste generated in the EU was 12.6 million tonnes in 2018 [41]

The EU “Circular Economy Action Plan” notes that textiles are among the fastest growing waste streams in the EU, with an estimated increase in waste of 2% to 3% per year [42]

Only about 1% of textiles are recycled into new clothes [43]

The textile value chain produces microplastics primarily through synthetic fiber shedding during washing [44]

A single polyester fleece jacket can shed thousands of microfibers per wash (reported estimate) [45]

Common laundering practices can release a significant fraction of fibers into wastewater; study reports e.g., 700,000 fibers per wash for some products (reported) [46]

In 2017, EU textile recycling rates were low: about 1% recycled into new products [47]

The EU Landfill Directive affects disposal; still, large shares of textiles go to landfill/incineration [48]

In the U.S., textiles are one of the largest contributors to landfill disposal; ~12.5 million tons of textile waste disposed annually (reported estimate) [49]

In the U.K., only about 1% of textiles are recycled into new garments (reported) [50]

In 2017, UK clothing and textile waste amounted to about 1.2 million tonnes sent to landfill [51]

In 2016, microfiber release from washing accounted for a significant fraction of input microplastics to wastewater treatment plants (reported) [52]

Wastewater treatment can remove some fibers but not all; residual microfibers remain in effluents (reported retention rates) [53]

In 2019, EU countries reported that around 10.2 million tonnes of textile waste were generated [54]

In 2018, France generated about 1.5 million tonnes of textile waste (reported in national inventories) [55]

The EU Eco-design/extended producer responsibility proposals aim to reduce textile waste; current collection rates remain low (reported) [56]

In 2020, the world’s textile waste is projected to reach about 148 million tonnes by 2030 (projection) [57]

Projections indicate textile waste could reach 134 million tonnes by 2030 if no changes (alternative projection) [58]

In 2017, global primary textile recycling rates were low; the majority of textiles are landfilled/incinerated (reported EU/UNEP) [59]

A study found that 60% of textile waste in a sample goes to landfill or incineration (reported for some region) [48]

In the EU, 87% of textile waste is not recycled (sent to landfill/incineration or downcycled) [60]

In 2018, EU countries collected about 2.8 million tonnes of textiles for reuse/recycling (reported) [61]

In 2018, the EU landfilled about 5.7 million tonnes of textile waste (reported) [62]

In 2018, the EU incinerated about 3.6 million tonnes of textile waste (reported) [63]

In the U.S., about 11.3 million tons of textiles were generated in 2018 [64]

In the U.S., about 8.7 million tons of textiles were disposed in 2018 (EPA) [65]

In the U.S., about 14.4% of textiles were recycled in 2018 (EPA) [66]

In the UK, textile recycling rate was around 23% in 2017 (reported by WRAP/EA) [67]

In 2019, the EU introduced a target that textiles will be separately collected and recycled in coming years (policy target) [68]

By 2030, the EU’s Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles aims at separate collection and high recycling rates (target) [69]

The EU’s strategy sets a target that by 2030, textiles will be sustainably produced and designed for circularity and a high share will be collected (policy) [70]

The textile industry uses fluorinated finishes for water repellency (e.g., PFAS); PFAS are persistent and present in environment (reported) [71]

PFAS can be present in stain-resistant textiles; studies have detected PFAS compounds in outdoor gear (reported detections) [72]

In the EU, only about 30% of textiles are reused/refurbished/collected for reuse, with the rest disposed [73]

In 2018, the EU prepared about 2.2 million tonnes for reuse/recycling and about 6.4 million tonnes were landfilled/incinerated (reported) [74]

In 2018, EU textile waste generation included about 3.5 million tonnes from households and 2.9 million tonnes from other sources (reported) [75]

In 2018, the EU recycled around 0.7 million tonnes of textiles (reported) [76]

In 2018, the EU sent about 8.1 million tonnes of textiles to incineration/landfill combined (reported) [77]

Apparel and footwear use about 93 billion cubic meters of water per year globally (estimated) [78]

The production of one cotton T-shirt uses about 2,700 liters of water [79]

The production of a pair of jeans can use about 7,500 liters of water [80]

Textile processing accounts for about 20% of global industrial wastewater [81]

Dyestuffs and chemicals from textile processing are a major source of river pollution; textile dyeing and finishing are widely implicated in water contamination [82]

Textile dyeing uses large quantities of water and chemicals; dyeing alone can use up to 200 liters per kilogram of fabric (reported typical ranges) [83]

The textile industry uses around 79 trillion liters of water per year globally (estimate used in many assessments) [84]

Textile wastewater can contain high concentrations of salts and color; dyeing can contribute to COD/BOD load (reported high levels) [85]

In 2019, global textile dyeing and finishing pollution was estimated at 20–30% of industrial water pollution in some assessments [86]

The dye industry uses large quantities of water and generates significant wastewater; textile dyeing is a major water pollutant [87]

In 2015, textile consumption was responsible for about 20% of industrial water pollution (widely cited) [88]

The global textile industry uses about 215 trillion liters of water per year (estimate in some lifecycle summaries) [89]

The UN says that producing textiles uses about 79 trillion cubic meters of water annually (equivalent figure) [90]

A 1 kg garment may require thousands of liters of water in production depending on fiber; e.g., cotton can be water-intensive (reported typical) [91]

The water footprint of cotton is about 10,000 liters per kg of cotton (often cited) [92]

The global average water footprint of blue water for cotton is around 2,700 m3/ton (value depends on study) [93]

Textile dyeing and finishing uses many chemicals; studies note high salinity and COD in wastewater [94]

Viscose production is often linked with high water use and chemical-intensive processing (LCA reported) [95]

The dyeing process uses reactive dyes that can be difficult to remove; treatment costs are high (reported) [96]

Life-cycle assessments show that untreated textiles can release hazardous substances during wastewater release (reported) [97]

A cotton fiber water footprint is driven largely by agricultural water; average global “blue” water footprint for cotton can be around 1,500–2,700 m3/ton depending on region (reported) [98]

Cotton agriculture accounts for a substantial share of water use in the textile system, with irrigation being key where water scarce (reported) [99]

In textile dyeing effluent, color can be reduced but requires advanced treatment; untreated dye wastes can have very high color intensity (reported) [100]

Textile effluents contribute to oxygen depletion; dyeing/finishing wastewater can have high BOD/COD (reported) [101]

Textile processing contributes heavily to heavy metal contamination in some regions; studies report metals like chromium in wastewater (reported) [102]