Sustainability In The Fast Fashion Industry Statistics

In 2018, the fashion sector accounted for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions [1]

In 2018, the fashion sector contributed 2.1 billion tonnes of CO2e [1]

In 2015, the fashion sector used 79 billion m³ of water globally [1]

By 2030, global demand for clothing is projected to increase by 63% [2]

By 2050, GHG emissions from the fashion sector could rise by 50% if no action is taken [3]

Globally, around 35% of textiles are produced from synthetic fibers [4]

In 2020, the global fashion industry’s value chain emissions were estimated to dominate across supply chain stages; (share not specified here) [4]

Energy use for textile production is substantial; global textiles energy demand estimated at ~1.2 EJ? (IEA report) [4]

The IEA report estimates global fashion/textiles CO2 emissions at around 2.1 billion tonnes per year [4]

According to IEA, textiles account for a significant share of global industrial energy use in production [4]

The IEA report projects that emissions could increase if demand grows faster than decarbonization (projection) [4]

The volume of clothing produced globally increased by 400% between 1990 and 2014 [5]

Global apparel production increased from 46 million tonnes in 2000 to 92 million tonnes in 2014 [5]

The value of the global apparel market was estimated at $1.7 trillion in 2019 [6]

The global fashion retail market reached $1.77 trillion in 2021 [7]

The global fast-fashion market size was $3.1 trillion in 2023 [8]

The global textile market is projected to reach $1,164.7 billion by 2030 [9]

Denim accounts for about 3% of global textile fiber demand [4]

1.5 billion items of clothing were produced globally in 2020? (fast-fashion context) [5]

Consumers buy 60% more clothing items than they did in 2000 (global average) [10]

The average number of times garments are worn is about 7 times before being discarded (global estimate) [10]

By 2020, the average person owned about 40 pieces of clothing (global) [11]

In 2019, the U.S. apparel and footwear market size was about $364.6 billion [12]

In 2018, EU apparel sales were about €291 billion [13]

In 2020, global e-commerce share of apparel sales was about 26% [14]

In 2021, the average retail price index for clothing declined in many markets; (OECD consumer price index) [15]

According to OECD, textile/clothing consumption is projected to increase in emerging economies; baseline growth estimate [16]

In 2021, global apparel and footwear sales in the US were $367.6 billion [12]

In 2022, the EU clothing and footwear market size was about €324.0 billion [17]

In 2020, Zara’s parent Inditex reported group revenue of €25.3 billion, indicating fast-fashion scale [18]

In 2021, H&M Group net sales were about SEK 223.6 billion, reflecting fast-fashion market scale [19]

In 2020, Shein was reported to have over 650 million visits per month (traffic scale) [20]

The average lifetime of garments has declined; in some markets from 3-4 years to 2-3 years (estimated) [10]

Global textile production is projected to increase by 50% by 2030 [21]

By 2030, global apparel consumption is projected to rise to ~102 million tonnes [22]

In 2013, there were 2,289 deaths from the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh [23]

Rana Plaza collapse injured about 2,500 workers [23]

In 2019, global child labor was 93 million children (relevant to apparel supply chains) [24]

In 2016, garment workers in major producing countries faced high wage levels relative to other sectors, but wage theft remains common; average wage in Bangladesh garment industry was about $95/month (approx. 2018-2019 ranges) [25]

The ILO reports Bangladesh’s garment industry minimum wage as 8,000 BDT/month in 2019 [26]

In Pakistan, garment workers reported working hours of 12-14 hours/day in some factories (survey findings) [27]

In Cambodia, garment workers commonly reported working 9-10 hours/day [28]

The ILO estimates that women comprise about 75% of the workforce in garment and textile industries [29]

In 2020, COVID-related job losses in garment manufacturing were estimated at around 7.7 million workers globally [30]

Migrant workers often face recruitment fees; in a survey, 15-20% of workers reported paying recruitment fees (varies by corridor) [31]

Forced labor is estimated to affect 27.6 million people worldwide (context for supply-chain risk) [32]

ILO estimates 152 million children in child labor (context) [24]

The Bangladeshi labor inspectorate found safety violations in inspections after Rana Plaza; one ILO report cited that 50% of factories had severe safety issues (fire/electrical/structural) [33]

In 2016, a report documented that 80% of garment workers in Cambodia experienced wage issues (late payments/underpayment) in some form [34]

In 2017, workers in supply chains reported average wage deductions and overtime pay issues, but reported non-payment in many cases; (survey-based estimate) [35]

In a 2019 report, the International Labour Organization estimated that 2.78 million workers are employed in garment and textile industries in Bangladesh (context) [36]

In 2019, ILO estimated that around 4 million workers are employed in Cambodia’s garment industry (context) [36]

The ILO estimates that supply chains employ 60 million workers in garment industries globally (context) [37]

The 2023 EU textile strategy aims that by 2030, clothing sold in the EU should be more durable, repairable, and recyclable (policy target figure) [38]

The EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation sets a framework including textiles as a priority product group (policy) [39]

The EU Waste Framework Directive target includes recycling targets for municipal waste of 55% by 2025, 60% by 2030, 65% by 2035 (context for textiles) [40]

The EU Landfill Directive requires landfill reduction to 10% by 2035 (context for waste streams including textiles) [41]

The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive restricts plastic-related single-use items; indirectly affects microplastic-related packaging [42]

The EU’s Digital Product Passport initiative includes tracking for products including textiles (policy) [43]

The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires sustainability reporting for large and listed firms (context for fashion brands) [44]

The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive sets due diligence obligations for companies (context for labor/chemical impacts) [45]

France’s 2023 anti-waste law (anti-waste for a circular economy) includes provisions for repairability and right to repair; fashion-related obligations [46]

In the U.K., the Textiles and Related Products (Incorporation of Extended Producer Responsibility) regulations aim to establish EPR for textiles (policy) [47]

The U.S. enacted the Federal Trade Commission “Made in USA” labeling guidance applies to apparel claims (policy context) [48]

The Massachusetts Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (EPR) policy influences upstream textile packaging waste; (state policy) [49]

The textile EPR policy in Sweden includes targets for collection and recycling; (context) [50]

The GOTS standard includes requirements on chemicals and ecological criteria for textiles; for example, restricted substances list criteria [51]

The OEKO-TEX Standard 100 classifies chemical testing for textile products (policy-like standards) [52]

The ZDHC program targets zero discharge of hazardous chemicals; its Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) is used by industry [53]

The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals program includes MRSL testing thresholds for specific chemicals [53]

The EU REACH regulation restricts hazardous chemicals; applicability includes textile chemicals like azo dyes and others [54]

Higg Index is used as an environmental/social measurement tool for apparel and footwear; scores are reported per module [55]

SAC (Sustainable Apparel Coalition) membership includes apparel brands using the Higg Brand and Retail Module [56]

The EU’s 2017 Ecodesign working plan includes textiles due to their environmental impacts (policy plan) [57]

The EU’s “Directive (EU) 2018/852” amends packaging and packaging waste rules; influences recycling targets affecting packaging for apparel products [58]

The EU Regulation 2024/1781 on ecodesign for sustainable products sets implementation for future measures including durability and repairability [59]

The Sustainable Development Goals include targets for responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), relevant to fast fashion sustainability [60]

The UN’s SDG 12 includes targets on environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes [60]

The EU’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive is unrelated; instead for textiles, the EU Waste Framework Directive includes separate targets relevant to textile waste management [61]

The EU Commission estimates separate collection rates of textiles remain low compared with overall waste streams [62]

The Higg MSI (Material Sustainability Index) provides scores for materials used in apparel; (indicator scoring) [63]

Synthetic fibers shed microfibers during washing; an estimated 500,000 microfibers per person per year are released from laundry [64]

Polyester is the most common synthetic fiber; it accounts for about 52% of global fiber production [4]

Fast fashion contributes to increased microplastic pollution via fiber shedding [65]

The UN estimates that the textile industry is among the top sources of microplastic pollution [65]

In a 2018 study, average microfiber shedding was 1,174 fibers per liter per wash (for polyamide) [66]

A 2019 study found that washing synthetic textiles releases microfibers at rates between 124 and 2,789 fibers per liter [67]

In a 2016 experiment, a single fleece jacket can shed about 250,000 microfibers during 1 wash [68]

In a 2015 study, untreated wastewater effluent contained higher microfiber counts than treated effluent by factors up to ~2-3 [69]

Microfibers from laundering are found in freshwater and marine environments; (global estimate) [70]

A 2017 study estimated that fiber shedding could be reduced with finishing/coatings, reporting reduction up to ~50% under certain treatments [71]

A 2019 study in Environmental Science & Technology measured microfiber release from washing as tens to hundreds of thousands per wash depending on fabric [72]

A 2018 review estimated global microfiber emissions from textiles could be ~0.5 million to 1 million tonnes per year (rough range) [73]

In the Nature Sustainability study, synthetic textiles can account for the majority of microplastics in wastewater influent (share) [74]

In a 2019 peer-reviewed paper, microfibre counts in wastewater influenced by washing frequency and fabric type were measured at scale [75]

Only 12% of clothing is recycled into new clothing, while the rest is downcycled or landfilled/incinerated [10]

In 2019, the average consumer worldwide bought 60% more clothing items than in 2000 [10]

In the EU, textile waste generation is about 5.8 million tonnes per year (pre-consumer + post-consumer) [22]

In the EU, only about 1.0% of used textiles are collected and recycled into new textiles [22]

Textiles are among the fastest-growing waste streams in the EU, projected to reach 15.0 million tonnes by 2030 [22]

The EU uses about 12.6 million tonnes of textiles annually [22]

The average person in the EU consumes about 26 kg of textiles per year [22]

The amount of textile waste generated in the EU rose to 12.6 million tonnes in 2014 [76]

According to OECD, fast fashion can increase clothing turnover and reduce garment lifetimes, contributing to higher waste volumes [77]

In the U.S., Americans throw away about 13 million tons of textile waste annually [78]

In the U.S., textiles and clothing represent about 5.8% of the total municipal solid waste stream [78]

In the U.S., the textile recycling rate is about 15% [78]

In the U.S., clothing and shoes account for about 2.1 million tons of landfill waste per year [78]

In the EU, 73% of textile waste is landfilled or incinerated [22]

In the EU, 22% of textile waste is collected for recycling [22]

In the EU, 13% of collected textiles are recycled into new products [22]

Of clothing waste, less than 1% is turned into new clothing globally [10]

Textile recycling requires collection systems; in the EU, separate collection rates vary by country, with many reporting less than 25% collection coverage (context) [76]

In the U.S., about 2 million tons of textiles are recycled annually [78]

In the U.S., about 9 million tons of textiles are landfilled annually [78]

In the U.S., textiles incinerated annually are about 3 million tons [78]

A 2019 European Commission report states that textile waste is largely not recycled due to contamination and fiber blends [79]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned every second globally [10]

The U.S. EPA states textiles are not recycled at scale due to fiber mix; collection and sorting challenges [80]

The U.S. EPA states that textile materials have a recycling rate of about 15% [78]

The UN estimates that 85% of textiles are not recycled and end up in landfills or incinerators globally [81]

By 2030, OECD projects municipal waste increases; textiles contribute to growing waste streams (projection) [82]

A 2018 report found that most recycling plants cannot handle blended fabrics efficiently, leading to downcycling [10]

The European Environment Agency states textile waste is expected to increase to 13.7 million tonnes by 2030 [22]

In Bangladesh, textile dyeing effluent can have biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) up to 1,500 mg/L [83]

Textile dyeing effluent in Bangladesh can reach chemical oxygen demand (COD) up to 10,000 mg/L [83]

The textile industry is estimated to use around 93 billion m³ of water annually (global estimate) [81]

Producing 1 kilogram of textiles requires about 10,000 liters of water on average [81]

It takes about 2,700 liters of water to produce a single cotton T-shirt [84]

It takes about 2,000 liters of water to produce a pair of jeans [85]

Textile dyeing uses large amounts of chemicals, with dyes and auxiliaries estimated at 0.5–1.0% of input chemicals [86]

Textile effluent can contain azo dyes that represent a significant share of dye use; azo dyes account for about 50% of all dyes [87]

Global textile production releases large amounts of wastewater; estimates suggest 20% of industrial wastewater is from textile dyeing [88]

The fashion industry is responsible for about 20% of wastewater worldwide [88]

Chromium VI is a concern in leather/tanning and garment supply chains; regulatory focus includes restriction of certain chromium compounds under EU REACH [89]

The Water Footprint Network estimate: producing 1 kg of cotton requires about 10,000 liters of water in average conditions [90]

The Water Footprint Network estimate: producing 1 kg of dyed/finished denim requires more water than raw cotton due to dyeing/finishing (water footprint increases) [90]

OECD estimates global fashion industry uses around 79 billion m³ of water (2015) [91]