Fashion Landfill Statistics

Textile sector is estimated to account for ~10% of global carbon emissions [1]

It takes about 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton T-shirt (estimated) [2]

It takes about 2,720 liters of water to produce one cotton T-shirt (estimate) [3]

Textile dyeing and finishing is the second largest consumer of industrial water [4]

Textile dyeing effluent is reported as one of the world’s main causes of water pollution [4]

In landfills, textiles contribute to methane indirectly via mixed municipal waste decomposition (context) [5]

EPA estimates that landfills produce about 15% of US methane emissions [6]

A 2019 UN report estimates the fashion industry is responsible for 8–10% of global carbon emissions [7]

Textile production uses significant energy; one life-cycle analysis indicates manufacturing contributes a large fraction of total footprint [8]

A 2017 report estimated that the fashion industry uses ~1.5 trillion cubic meters of water annually (broad indicator) [9]

The fashion industry is responsible for about 20% of industrial water pollution (UNEP) [4]

Textile production is responsible for 3–5% of global greenhouse gas emissions (reported range) [10]

The clothing life cycle: use phase often dominates water/energy depending on behavior; one study shows washing/drug contributes (context) [11]

A life-cycle assessment often indicates that washing frequency affects impacts; one study shows reducing washing from 30 to 10 times cuts footprint by ~50% (context) [12]

In the US, landfill methane capture is partial; landfills still emit methane; EPA estimates about 4% of methane emissions after controls (context) [13]

Global fashion industry value chain emits large emissions through fiber production; one report estimates about 1.2 billion tonnes CO2e (indicator) [14]

A global report states that cotton production is water intensive with high impacts per kg [15]

A 2019 life-cycle study on denim showed water use dominates; one result: ~7,600 liters per pair estimate (denim) [16]

A 2017 study estimated that one pair of jeans requires about 3,800 liters of water (estimate) [17]

In the US, 7.0 million tons of textiles and leather were landfilled in 2018 [18]

In the US, textiles and leather incineration total was 3.1 million tons in 2018 [18]

In the US, the amount of textiles and leather landfilled decreased from 10.6 million tons in 1980 to 7.0 million tons in 2018 [18]

UK textile waste to landfill was about 38,000 tonnes in 2016 [19]

Australia textiles in landfill around 500,000 tonnes per year (estimated) [20]

Canada disposes about 65% of textile waste to landfill (estimate) [21]

In the EU, 87% of textile waste is landfilled or incinerated [22]

In the US, about 84% of textiles were landfilled or incinerated in 2018 [18]

EU member states report that 70%+ of textile waste is treated by landfilling or incineration [23]

In the UK, 2017/2018 textiles sent to landfill was 243,000 tonnes (estimate) [24]

The share of clothing imports that are unsold/defective and become waste can be significant; one report estimated high discard rates up to 40% for some markets [25]

In the US, landfill capacity concerns include that textiles are persistent waste; textiles contain synthetic fibers that last long (reported) [26]

EU Landfill Directive aims to reduce biodegradable waste; textiles are not biodegradable fully, but mixed waste targets apply [27]

EPA: Textiles and leather were disposed in 2018 at 12.2 million tons (landfill + incineration) [18]

In the US, the materials that go to landfill include textiles at 7.0 million tons in 2018 [18]

US EPA: MSW incineration of textiles and leather in 2018 was 3.1 million tons [18]

In Sweden, textile waste to landfill is low; one report estimated landfilling under 10% (policy context) [28]

In the US, fashion-related e-commerce returns often end up as waste; returns can exceed 20% in apparel (reported) [29]

In the EU, average household waste contains about 5% textiles by weight (estimate) [30]

In the UK, textiles and clothing sent to landfill were around 0.3 million tonnes in 2018/19 (estimate) [31]

In Canada, about 60-70% of textile waste goes to landfill or incineration (estimate) [21]

EPA: Textiles and leather were disposed at 12.2 million tons in 2018 [32]

In the Netherlands, textiles to incineration were about 200,000 tonnes (estimate) [33]

In Belgium, textile landfilling/Incineration accounted for about 80% of treatment (estimate) [34]

In Switzerland, textile waste disposal to landfill is less than 10% (reported) [35]

In the US, at least 25% of donations are not reused and end up in landfill/incineration (estimate) [36]

In the US, EPA states textiles are the fourth-largest contributor to landfill waste (indicator) [37]

In the US, most textile waste ends up in landfill or incineration (reported) [38]

In the US, about 2.6 million tons were discarded to the environment (landfill/combusted/recovered) for textiles in 2018 (derived from EPA data) [18]

In the EU, the strategy expects a reduction of landfill and incineration via higher reuse and recycling rates (stated) [39]

Polyester makes up about 60% of global fiber production (share) [40]

Cotton is about 25% of global fiber production (share) [40]

Synthetic fibers (including polyester, nylon, acrylic) make up about 72% of total fiber used for textile production [41]

Global recycled polyester content is increasing; one report states recycled polyester makes up around 15% of polyester fiber production (indicator) [42]

Textile Exchange’s 2023 benchmark: certified recycled polyester share in global polyester claims is about 18.3% (benchmark) [43]

A global study estimated that ~87% of landfill-bound textiles contain synthetic fibers and blends that are difficult to recycle [40]

Microfibers from synthetic textiles contribute to aquatic microplastic pollution [44]

A 2018 paper reported that washing synthetic textiles can release microfibers; estimated releases range up to ~700,000 particles per wash (model estimate) [45]

A widely cited study estimated that washing releases 5 to 17 grams of microfibers per year per person (model) [46]

Plastic fibers in textiles can persist for centuries in the environment [47]

One polyester garment can release microfibers when washed; lab studies show release depends on fabric type and wash conditions [48]

A 2019 report estimated microfibers from laundering could be millions of tons annually globally (estimate) [49]

Only about 1% of used textiles are recycled into new textiles [50]

In the US, 2.0 million tons of textiles and leather were recycled in 2018 [18]

UK household textile waste collected for reuse and recycling was about 297,000 tonnes in 2016 [19]

Norway’s textile reuse/recycling rate is about 50% (estimate) [51]

In the EU, 13% of textiles are recycled or reused [22]

A 2017 study found ~73% of garments in EU sorting are sent to recycling, reuse, or disposal depending on condition [52]

Textile waste often contains blended fabrics that hinder recycling (reported) [53]

Sorting is a key bottleneck; global sorting capacity is limited [54]

In the US, about 10.5% of textiles were recycled in 2018 (share of textile waste) [18]

EPA estimates textiles and leather recovery rate is 13.8% in 2018 [18]

In Germany, the Alttextilien recycling rate is about 60% (reported) [55]

In France, textile collection systems can collect about 400,000 tonnes/year (reported) [56]

The EU waste hierarchy is applied to textiles: prevention, reuse, recycle before disposal [57]

The EU revised Waste Framework Directive requires separate collection of textiles by end of 2025 (policy requirement) [27]

EPA: Textiles and leather were recycled in 2018 at 2.0 million tons [18]

In the US, textiles and leather recovery rate in 2018 is 13.8% [18]

In the EU, textile collection rates vary; one estimate suggests EU separately collects around 1.1 million tonnes per year [22]

Textile sorting leads to reuse of some items; the reuse share is around 5-10% in many systems (estimate) [23]

In Norway, over 50,000 tonnes of textiles are collected annually for recycling/reuse (reported) [58]

In Switzerland, textile recycling/reuse: about 70% of collected textiles are reused/recycled (reported) [35]

In Canada, about 33% of textiles are recycled for second use or recycling (estimate) [21]

In Japan, textile recycling rate is about 17% (reported) [59]

In Japan, most used textiles are recycled or exported, but disposal persists; recycling collection volumes are in tens of thousands of tonnes (reported) [59]

Fiber-to-fiber recycling of cotton is emerging; one report indicates yields can be around 80% for certain processes (reported) [60]

Chemical recycling aims for near-100% recovery of monomers (reported target) [61]

Mechanical recycling typically results in downcycling with lower quality; one study reports mechanical recycling can reduce fiber strength by ~20-40% (reported) [62]

A 2020 study shows that textile sorting accuracy affects recycling yields; one experiment reported improvement from 60% to 85% accuracy with advanced sorting (reported) [63]

In a Danish pilot, reuse sorting achieved about 70% resaleable fraction by weight (reported) [64]

In the EU, the new extended producer responsibility for textiles aims to increase reuse and recycling, including separate collection; target to raise recycling rates (policy) [65]

In Sweden, textile collection is reported at around 120,000 tonnes per year (reported) [66]

In Finland, textile waste collected is about 30,000 tonnes per year (reported) [67]

In Denmark, textiles collection is about 60,000 tonnes annually (reported) [68]

In Norway, clothing reuse and recycling achieved an overall collection and treatment of about 112,000 tonnes in 2019 (reported) [58]

In Austria, textiles collected for reuse/recycling are about 100,000 tonnes/year (reported) [69]

In the Netherlands, textiles collected for reuse/recycling exceeded 100,000 tonnes (estimate) [33]

A 2020 report estimates that 85% of the value in clothing is lost after one use (estimate) [70]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that 1% of materials are recycled into new clothing (headline) [71]

Sweden’s producer responsibility collects textile waste via agreements; one report shows a cost coverage rate of about 100% (reported) [72]

Denmark’s producer responsibility for textiles covers collection and recycling; a report shows coverage rate around 90% (reported) [73]

France’s textile EPR began reforms in 2022 aiming to increase separately collected textiles to around 95% of placed-on-market volume by 2027 (policy) [74]

Italy’s textile EPR scheme aims to reach recycling targets of about 75% by 2025 (policy) [75]

Spain’s textile strategy aims to increase reuse/recycling to above 50% by 2025 (policy) [76]

Ireland’s 2020 strategy includes a textile collection target of 60 kg per person by 2025 (policy target) [77]

In the UK, the charity sector receives large volumes: donations can be millions of kg annually; one report estimated 300,000 tonnes of textile waste collected through charities in 2017 (estimate) [78]

In the UK, WRAP estimated that 95% of textiles could be kept in use longer through sorting/reuse (estimate) [79]

In the US, textile recovery in 2018 includes recycling and composting are not typical; EPA lists 2.0 million tons recovered [18]

In the EU, textiles are covered under the producer responsibility for waste streams in various countries, with separate collection requirements by 2025 (policy) [39]

In the EU, the Commission’s textiles strategy targets an “increase in separate collection and sorting of textiles” (stated objective) [39]

The EU’s 2018 estimate: 11.3 million tonnes of textiles are consumed yearly in the EU [22]

In the EU, textiles are the second most consumed clothing sector by quantity (fast fashion) [80]

The EU’s circular economy action plan targets a 5% reduction in primary raw materials used by 2030, relevant to textile demand reduction [81]

Global apparel production has grown substantially; clothing consumption increased by 400% since 1990 (reported by UNEP) [82]

The average consumer in the US buys about 68 items of clothing per year (2018) [83]

UK consumers bought about 26 kg of textiles per person per year (2017 estimate) [84]

In the US, the estimated average lifetime of apparel has decreased from about 3 years to about 2 years (fast fashion) [85]

In Sub-Saharan Africa, used clothing imports have been estimated in the tens of billions of dollars annually (indicator) [86]

About 2.3 million people in the EU are employed in textiles, apparel and footwear sectors (employment indicator) [87]

The global apparel and footwear sector is one of the largest contributors to global employment (indicator) [88]

In the UK, the 2018 textiles market turnover is about £37 billion (indicator) [89]

In the US, clothing retail sales were about $355 billion in 2022 (indicator) [90]

Global clothing produced per year is over 100 billion garments (estimate) [91]

Apparel and footwear is among major categories in global waste; EU states textiles and footwear make up significant share of municipal waste (reported) [92]

In the EU, the Waste Prevention Programme aims to reduce textile waste generation by promoting reuse and repair (policy target) [93]

Scotland’s deposit-return systems exist for drinks, but textiles prevention is targeted; a strategy sets clothing donation/repair promotion goals (policy target) [94]

Global textile waste generated each year is about 92 million tonnes [95]

About 20% of global wastewater comes from textile dyeing and treatment [4]

In the EU, textiles generate about 5.8 million tonnes of waste per year [39]

The EU reports that around 26 kg of textiles waste is generated per person per year [39]

The EU’s 2018 estimate: 9.6 million tonnes of textiles become waste each year in the EU [22]

Globally, clothing and textiles are among the fastest-growing waste streams in landfills [91]

US municipal solid waste textiles and leather in 2018 total about 12.2 million tons [18]

In the US, textiles and leather accounted for 5.2% of municipal solid waste in 2018 [18]

US textile waste per person was about 81 pounds per year (2018) [18]

UK textile waste generated was about 1 million tonnes in 2017 [19]

By 2030, global textile waste is predicted to reach 134 million tonnes per year [96]

By 2050, global textile waste is predicted to double from today’s level [97]

EPA reports that textiles and leather generation in the US was 14.2 million tons in 2018 [18]

In Germany, about 1.3 million tonnes of textile waste are generated annually (estimate) [55]

In France, textile waste is about 1.6 million tonnes/year (estimate) [56]

In the UK, 2017/2018 textile waste in municipal systems was 531,000 tonnes (estimate) [24]

In India, the textile waste amount is estimated at around 2-3 million tonnes/year (estimate) [98]

In China, textile waste is estimated at 26 million tonnes/year (estimate) [99]

In Turkey, textile waste generation is estimated at 1.2 million tonnes/year (estimate) [100]

In Malaysia, textiles discarded are estimated at 140,000 tonnes/year (estimate) [101]

In the US, textile and leather waste generation is estimated to continue growing; EPA projects based on MSW data (trend) [18]

EPA: Textiles and leather generation in 2018 was 14.2 million tons [18]

In the UK, households disposed of about 1.1 million tonnes of textiles and clothing in 2018/19 (estimate) [31]

In Canada, textiles and clothing waste generation is estimated about 500,000 tonnes per year (estimate) [21]

In the US, textiles represent 6.4% of the total waste disposed (reported) [32]

EPA: Textiles and leather were generated at 14.2 million tons in 2018 [32]

In 2017, the UK generated 350,000 tonnes of clothing/textile waste from households (estimate) [102]

In the Netherlands, textile waste generated about 300,000 tonnes in 2019 (estimate) [33]

In Belgium, textile waste generated about 250,000 tonnes/year (estimate) [34]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that textile waste is expected to rise by 57% by 2030 (estimate) [103]

In the US, “textiles and leather” generation includes apparel; EPA’s 2018 data provides 14.2 million tons total [18]