Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The fashion industry uses approximately 93 billion cubic meters of water annually, enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people
It takes about 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt, equivalent to what a person drinks in 2.5 years
Making a single pair of jeans consumes around 7,500 liters of water, primarily from cotton farming
Cotton farming accounts for 24% of insecticides and 11% of pesticides despite using only 2.4% of the world’s arable land, contributing to water pollution
The fashion industry is responsible for around 20% of global wastewater, mostly from dyeing and treatment processes
200 tons of water are used to dye one ton of fabric in conventional textile dyeing processes
Textile dyeing is the second-largest polluter of water globally
One kilogram of cotton requires up to 10,000 liters of water to produce depending on region
In India, the water needed to produce one kilogram of cotton could supply one person with drinking water for 3.5 years
By 2030, fast fashion’s global water consumption is projected to increase by 50% if current trends continue
Washing synthetic clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean every year, polluting water systems
Fashion production consumes more water than the total water consumption of France, Germany, and the UK combined per year
Fast fashion companies use an average of 79 trillion liters of water annually in production
Carbon Emissions and Energy Use
- If global fashion production continues as is, by 2050, it could use a quarter of the world’s carbon and water budget
Interpretation
If fast fashion keeps strutting down its current runway, by 2050 it won’t just be out of style—it could be wearing a quarter of the planet’s carbon and water resources.
Chemical Usage and Pollution
- Cotton farming accounts for 24% of insecticides and 11% of pesticides despite using only 2.4% of the world’s arable land, contributing to water pollution
- The production of viscose, a fast-fashion fabric, pollutes waterways with toxic chemicals like carbon disulphide and sulfuric acid
- Tannery waste from leather production in fashion contains heavy metals like chromium that leach into water systems
- Just 1 milligram of dye can contaminate a liter of water, drastically affecting aquatic ecosystems
- Cotton uses 3.6 million tons of chemicals per year, contaminating millions of liters of freshwater
- Printed T-shirts using traditional dyes release high levels of solvents and colorants into sewage systems
Interpretation
Fast fashion may serve up cheap style on the surface, but behind the seams, it's guzzling chemicals and poisoning waterways—turning catwalk trends into ecological dead ends.
Microplastic and Waste Generation
- Washing synthetic clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean every year, polluting water systems
- 85% of textiles go into landfills each year, much of which contains synthetic fibers that pollute waterways when broken down
- Less than 1% of used clothing is recycled into new garments, with worn pieces often incinerated or dumped, polluting water supplies
- Polyester garments shed thousands of microplastics per wash, affecting water ecosystems globally
- Textile industry may contribute up to 35% of all microplastics in the ocean, largely from fast fashion garments
- The fashion industry emits 20–30% of microplastics into oceans annually, destroying aquatic food chains and water sources
- Fast fashion results in 92 million tons of textile waste annually, much ending up in rivers and oceans
- Polyester requires much less water than cotton to produce but releases more microplastics during washing
- More than 35% of the microplastics in aquatic environments come from clothing, driven by fast fashion dependence on synthetics
Interpretation
Fast fashion may save you money at the mall, but it’s costing the planet its clean water—shedding microplastics by the wash, clogging oceans with textile waste, and turning your wardrobe into a long-term pollutant with a short-term trend.
Water Consumption and Pollution
- The fashion industry uses approximately 93 billion cubic meters of water annually, enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people
- It takes about 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt, equivalent to what a person drinks in 2.5 years
- Making a single pair of jeans consumes around 7,500 liters of water, primarily from cotton farming
- The fashion industry is responsible for around 20% of global wastewater, mostly from dyeing and treatment processes
- 200 tons of water are used to dye one ton of fabric in conventional textile dyeing processes
- Textile dyeing is the second-largest polluter of water globally
- One kilogram of cotton requires up to 10,000 liters of water to produce depending on region
- In India, the water needed to produce one kilogram of cotton could supply one person with drinking water for 3.5 years
- By 2030, fast fashion’s global water consumption is projected to increase by 50% if current trends continue
- Fashion production consumes more water than the total water consumption of France, Germany, and the UK combined per year
- Fast fashion companies use an average of 79 trillion liters of water annually in production
- Cotton production consumes 3% of the world’s agricultural water use, yet only produces 2% of global fiber use
- In China, 70% of rivers and lakes are contaminated by the 2.5 billion gallons of wastewater produced by the textile industry
- It takes about 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton for a single pair of jeans
- Textile dyeing and finishing can use up to 200 liters of water per kilogram of textiles produced
- Each year, 70 million barrels of oil are used to produce polyester, which pollutes water in both production and degradation
- 40% of fashion wastewater is discharged without any treatment, contaminating water bodies
- In Uzbekistan, cotton farming has drained the Aral Sea by consuming massive volumes of water for irrigation
- Textile manufacturing in Bangladesh discharges 20,000 liters of wastewater per ton of fabric produced
- In 2017, 79 billion cubic meters of water were used by the fashion industry, rising annually
- Levi’s Water<Less® process has saved over 3 billion liters of water since inception, showing the vast water use of denim fabrication
- 90% of wastewater in developing countries is dumped untreated into water bodies, often from textile industries
- The global water footprint of cotton is around 258 billion cubic meters annually, one of the highest among crops
- Bleaching denim uses more than 16 liters of water per garment, contributing to water overuse in fast fashion
- Clothing manufacturing accounts for 6–8% of global freshwater withdrawals all industries considered
- In Pakistan, 50% of industrial water pollution is from the textile industry, driven largely by fast fashion exports
- Nearly 500 billion gallons of fresh water are used every year to dye textiles, often discharged untreated
- Making a T-shirt in Bangladesh uses up to 3,000 liters of water largely due to inefficient dyeing practices
- Natural fiber production (cotton, flax) contributes to 20% of agricultural water use, mostly from fast fashion suppliers
- Fast fashion clothes are worn only 7-10 times before disposal, enhancing the water footprint per wear
- Bangladesh’s textile industry discharges 250 million gallons of wastewater into rivers daily
- Conventional cotton farming uses more water than any other fiber crop, making it the least eco-friendly choice
- A single tank top made from cotton can consume 1,250 liters of water in its lifecycle
- The lifecycle water footprint of clothing includes agricultural, industrial, and consumer usage totaling over 10,000 liters per item of conventional outfit
- Cotton cultivation for fashion consumes 3% of global irrigation water, which affects access in water-stressed regions
- The dyeing process is responsible for 20% of industrial water pollution in China largely due to fast fashion production
- Each step of denim production—spinning, dyeing, finishing—requires massive water amounts, totaling up to 11,000 liters per pair
- In Vietnam, untreated wastewater from apparel manufacturing affects drinking water for local communities
- In Laos, 80% of community water sources near textile factories are contaminated with heavy metals
- The average consumer's apparel use accounts for the water equivalent of 100 bathtubs each year
- A kilogram of viscose requires 650 liters of clean water for production and dyeing, magnifying fast fashion impacts
- Buying new clothes increases an individual's water footprint by approximately 1,500 liters per item on average
- Between 2015 and 2030, global apparel consumption is expected to rise by 63%, worsening pressure on water resources
- Indigo dyeing for jeans contributes significantly to water pollution since only about 50% of the dye stays on fabric
- Treated textiles continue to leach dye into groundwater and water streams for years post-disposal
- Only 20% of textile wastewater in China is reused, adding pressure to freshwater sources
- Approximately 50–100 liters of water are used for each kilogram of clothing during consumer laundry laundered at home
- The average garment made with conventional methods takes more than 2,000 liters of water from field to shelf
- Garment production growth of 60% over the last 15 years has led to a 77% rise in fashion-related water use
- Fashion-sector water consumption will rise to 118 billion cubic meters annually by 2030, up from 79B in 2015
- 90% of cotton in Pakistan is grown in high-water-stress areas, threatening agriculture and water security
- Wastewater discharges from textile plants lead to oxygen depletion in rivers, killing marine life
- The annual water used to produce clothing would fill 32 million Olympic-size swimming pools
- Cotton farming for fashion often relies on unsustainable irrigation, depleting aquifers in India and Central Asia
Interpretation
In a world where a single T-shirt drinks more water than you will in three years, fast fashion isn’t just washing your clothes—it’s draining the planet drop by drop.