Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The fashion industry emits about 1.2 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year
Textile production contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined
The fast fashion industry uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually, enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people
20% of global wastewater comes from textile dyeing and treatment
Up to 35% of primary microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic textiles
The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions
Clothing production has doubled since 2000
On average, people bought 60% more garments in 2014 than in 2000, but kept them for half as long
87% of the total fiber input used for clothing is ultimately incinerated or sent to a landfill
The average American throws away approximately 81 pounds of clothing each year
The textile industry is the second-largest consumer of water globally
It takes about 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt
The production of one pair of jeans emits around 33.4 kg CO2 equivalent
Environmental Impact
- The fashion industry emits about 1.2 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year
- Textile production contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined
- Up to 35% of primary microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic textiles
- The fashion industry produces 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions
- The production of one pair of jeans emits around 33.4 kg CO2 equivalent
- 10% to 20% of pesticides used worldwide are for cotton production
- Producing polyester releases 2 to 3 times more carbon emissions than cotton
- The fashion industry is responsible for about 5% of total global greenhouse gas emissions
- 60% of fast fashion products are made with plastic-based materials
- Clothing rentals and resale could reduce carbon emissions by up to 90% compared to new production
- Over 8,000 synthetic chemicals are used in clothing manufacture, many of which are hazardous
- Producing 1 kg of fabric generates up to 23 kg of greenhouse gases
- A single T-shirt generates around 6.75 kg of CO2 across its lifecycle
- UV-resistant and water-repellant clothing often uses harmful fluorocarbons (PFCs)
- Incinerating synthetic textiles releases toxic substances like dioxins
- Cotton outfits require about 25% of the world’s insecticides
- The fashion sector requires 98 million tons of resources each year including oil, chemicals, and water
- Greenhouse gas emissions from textile production are expected to surge by 60% by 2030 if unchanged
- 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to produce polyester
- Fast fashion garments are made up of 80% synthetic materials
- Synthetic fabrics release potent greenhouse gases like N2O during production
- Fashion-related emissions will increase by 50% by 2030 if the current trend continues
Interpretation
Fast fashion may dress us for the moment, but with synthetic threads spun from oil, dyed in toxins, and stitched together by carbon, it’s quickly becoming climate change’s most stylish accomplice.
Labor and Ethical Concerns
- Fast fashion employs over 300 million people globally, many in low-wage countries
- 30% of fashion workers have experienced abuse and unsafe working environments
- Garment workers are among the lowest-paid employees globally, some earning as little as $2/day
- 90% of workers in the global garment industry have no possibility to negotiate wages
Interpretation
Fast fashion may keep prices low and trends fast, but behind the racks lie 300 million underpaid workers, dangerous conditions, and a supply chain stitched together with silence and exploitation.
Production and Consumption Patterns
- Clothing production has doubled since 2000
- On average, people bought 60% more garments in 2014 than in 2000, but kept them for half as long
- Polyester is the most widely used fiber, accounting for 52% of all fibers produced
- Consumers discard clothing after wearing it an average of 7–10 times
- The average lifespan of a garment is only 2.2 years
- By 2030, fashion consumption is expected to increase by 63%
- Approximately 20 new garments are manufactured per person annually
- Of the clothing donated to charities, only 10-30% is resold domestically
- The average garment travels over 8,000 km before being sold
- Europe exports around 1.4 million tons of used textiles annually
- Up to 40% of clothing purchased in some countries is never worn
- The U.S. has the highest per capita clothing consumption—92 garments annually
- In 2014, people bought 100 billion garments globally, a 60% increase from 2000
- Consumers wear garments only 7 times on average before discarding
- Globally, 500 billion dollars is lost every year due to clothing underutilization and lack of recycling
- The average fast fashion item is worn 10 times or fewer
Interpretation
Fast fashion has turned our closets into revolving doors of barely-worn polyester, where clothes travel farther than most people do, only to be tossed after seven spins, costing the planet dearly while dressing us cheaply.
Waste and Landfills
- 87% of the total fiber input used for clothing is ultimately incinerated or sent to a landfill
- The average American throws away approximately 81 pounds of clothing each year
- Only 1% of clothing is recycled into new garments
- Textile waste is projected to increase to 148 million tons annually by 2030
- 85% of textiles end up in landfills each year
- Discarded clothes can take up to 200 years to decompose in landfills
- About 60 billion square meters of textiles are wasted during garment production
- Over 1 million tons of textiles are thrown away annually in the UK alone
- Fast fashion is responsible for 92 million tons of textile waste per year
- In the U.S., textile waste increased by 811% from 1960 to 2015
- In 2018, Americans generated 17 million tons of textile waste
- 60% of garments are discarded within a year of production
- Only 15% of consumer-used clothes are recycled annually
- Clothing made from mixed materials is nearly impossible to recycle
- Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or incinerated
- 3 out of 5 garments end up in landfills or incinerators within a year of being produced
- Less than 15% of discarded clothes are collected for recycling
Interpretation
Fast fashion dresses us up in the illusion of choice while stripping the planet bare—churning out clothes so fast and disposable that most are trashed, torched, or buried before their first birthday, turning our closets into landfills in waiting.
Water Usage and Pollution
- The fast fashion industry uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually, enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people
- 20% of global wastewater comes from textile dyeing and treatment
- The textile industry is the second-largest consumer of water globally
- It takes about 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt
- Clothing and textile production is responsible for about 20% of industrial water pollution worldwide
- Washing synthetic clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean each year
- The fashion industry accounts for 4% of global freshwater withdrawal
- Extreme use of fertilizers to grow cotton contributes to eutrophication and water pollution
- Textile treatment and dyeing causes 17–20% of all industrial water pollution
- Producing a kilogram of cotton requires 10,000 to 20,000 liters of water
- The majority of microfiber pollution comes from washing synthetic clothes like polyester, nylon, and acrylic
- Dyeing and finishing textiles use up to 200 tons of water per ton of fabric
- TCE (trichloroethylene), a common degreaser in textile production, is a known carcinogen
- 79 trillion liters of water are consumed annually by the fashion industry
- Textile dyeing is the second-largest polluter of water globally
- The fashion industry uses 1.5 trillion liters of water each year
- Cheap clothing relies on high-volume wastewater discharges, often untreated
- Growing cotton for one T-shirt uses as much water as a person drinks in 2.5 years
Interpretation
Fast fashion may be affordable for your wallet, but its water-wasting, toxin-spilling, microfiber-shedding habits are turning our rivers into runways of pollution—proving that cheap clothes come at a catastrophic cost to the planet.