Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions
The fashion industry uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually — enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people
20% of wastewater worldwide comes from fabric dyeing and treatment
The equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned every second
Less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new clothing
The average consumer buys 60% more clothing than 15 years ago but keeps each item for only half as long
Around 35% of all microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic textiles like polyester
Polyester, the most commonly used fiber in clothing, is made from fossil fuels and takes hundreds of years to biodegrade
Producing one kilogram of cotton requires 20,000 liters of water
In 2015, the fashion industry emitted 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent — more than international flights and maritime shipping combined
Fast fashion brands release 52 micro-collections a year instead of the traditional two
90% of clothing in developing countries is exported from developed countries as secondhand
Up to 30% of clothes produced each season are never sold
Energy Consumption and Emissions
- The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions
- In 2015, the fashion industry emitted 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent — more than international flights and maritime shipping combined
- Fashion is responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions
- The carbon footprint of a pair of jeans is about 33.4 kg CO2 equivalent
- Garment production emits more CO2 than the airline and shipping industries combined
- The fashion industry is responsible for 1.7 billion tons of CO2 emissions per year
- Disposing of one kilogram of textiles emits 3.6 kg of CO2
- About 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make polyester
- Textile production contributes more to climate change than aviation and shipping combined
- The fashion industry’s climate impact could increase 49% by 2030
- One ton of discarded textiles generates 20 tons of CO2 equivalent
- The fashion industry uses more energy than the aviation and shipping sectors combined
- Producing a single T-shirt emits the same amount of emissions as driving a car for 10 miles
- Carbon emissions from the fashion industry are expected to rise by 63% by 2030
Interpretation
Fast fashion may dress us for the weekend, but its carbon footprint is stomping all over the planet—bigger than air travel, shipping, and set to grow faster than a closet during a sale.
Environmental Impact
- Around 35% of all microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic textiles like polyester
- Polyester, the most commonly used fiber in clothing, is made from fossil fuels and takes hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fashion accounts for 20-35% of microplastics in the ocean
- Washing synthetic garments releases an estimated 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean each year
- More than 8,000 synthetic chemicals are used in the process of turning raw materials into textiles
- China produces over 50% of the world’s textiles, with highly polluting factories
- More than 60% of fabric fibers are synthetics, which do not decay in the ocean
- Cotton farming uses 24% of insecticides and 11% of pesticides globally
- Fashion workers are exposed to hazardous chemicals with minimal protection
- Garment production uses 2,000 different chemicals including dyes, pesticides, and acids
- In Cambodia, textile factories have caused toxic chemical buildup in soil and waterways
- Textile workers exposed to dyes show higher incidences of bladder cancer
- Fast fashion contributes to deforestation through land used to grow cotton
- Clothing manufacturing contributes significantly to acidification of freshwater ecosystems
- In the EU, textiles are the fourth largest cause of environmental pressure from consumption
- Clothing made in sweatshops contributes to both environmental and human rights abuses
- Textile dyeing is responsible for 20% of industrial water pollution worldwide
Interpretation
Fast fashion may dress us up for less, but behind the bargain lies a toxic trail of microplastics, fossil fuels, poisoned workers, and polluted waters that makes each outfit a slow-stitched environmental crisis.
Production and Consumption Trends
- The average consumer buys 60% more clothing than 15 years ago but keeps each item for only half as long
- Fast fashion brands release 52 micro-collections a year instead of the traditional two
- 90% of clothing in developing countries is exported from developed countries as secondhand
- Up to 30% of clothes produced each season are never sold
- Clothing production has doubled between 2000 and 2014
- 60% of all clothing is made of plastic-based materials
- Clothing sales doubled from 100 billion units in 2000 to 200 billion in 2014
- Synthetic fibers are found in 70% of all clothing produced
- Workers in developing countries often earn less than $3 per day producing fast fashion clothes
- More than 100 billion garments are produced globally every year
- Up to 40% of clothing purchased in some countries is never even worn
- The average garment is worn only 7-10 times before disposal
- One in three young women considers clothes worn once or twice to be old
- The lifespan of clothing has decreased by 36% in 15 years
- The average UK shopper has 60% more clothes than 15 years ago
- 30% of all clothing items made globally go unsold
- Consumers use clothes 36% less than they did 15 years ago
- 25% of global chemical output is used by the textile industry
- Textile production is projected to grow 63% by 2030
- Each person in the EU consumes about 26 kilograms of textiles annually
Interpretation
Drowning in cheaply-made threads worn once and tossed, fast fashion has turned our closets into landfills, workers into cogs, and the planet into its catwalk casualty.
Textile Waste and Recycling
- The equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned every second
- Less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new clothing
- An estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created each year
- 87% of the total fiber input used for clothing is ultimately incinerated or sent to landfill
- Only 15% of consumer-used textiles are recycled in the US
- The average American throws away 81 pounds of clothing annually
- Only 20% of textiles are collected for reuse or recycling globally
- Textile waste is expected to increase by 60% between 2015 and 2030
- The majority of textile waste in Europe is burned or landfilled
- More than 500 billion dollars of value is lost every year due to underuse and lack of recycling of clothing
- Only 25% of people in the US recycle old clothes
- It can take 200 years for synthetics like polyester to decompose
- Only 10% of clothes donated to thrift stores are sold
- Americans generate 17 million tons of textile waste annually
- Only 14% of clothes are collected for recycling globally
Interpretation
Fast fashion may dress us cheaply, but its true cost is a mountain of waste rising every second, fueled by a throwaway culture that buries planetary health with every $5 t-shirt and forgotten pair of jeans.
Water and Wastewater Usage
- The fashion industry uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually — enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people
- 20% of wastewater worldwide comes from fabric dyeing and treatment
- Producing one kilogram of cotton requires 20,000 liters of water
- An estimated 79 trillion liters of water are consumed annually to produce clothing
- Textile dyeing is the second-largest polluter of water globally
- The fashion industry uses 4% of the world’s freshwater withdrawals annually
- One cotton T-shirt requires 2,700 liters of water to produce
- Up to 95% of the water used in textile dyeing can be recycled with proper technology
- Fashion wastewater often enters rivers untreated in many countries
- It takes around 200 tons of water to dye one ton of fabric
- The textile industry is the second-largest consumer of water globally
Interpretation
In an industry where trends change weekly, fashion's thirst for water is anything but fleeting—guzzling enough to quench nations, dye rivers toxic, and leave sustainability permanently out of style.