Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The textile industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions
20% of global wastewater is produced by the fashion industry
The industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water annually—enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people
Textiles account for approximately 35% of microplastics released into the ocean
85% of textiles go to landfills each year
Making one cotton shirt uses 2,700 liters of water—the same amount the average person drinks in two and a half years
It takes about 7,500 liters of water to make a pair of jeans
Over 16 million tons of textile waste is generated each year in the United States alone
Only 13% of the total material input is recycled into the industry
The fashion industry could account for 26% of global carbon emissions by 2050 if current trends continue
Synthetic fibers, like polyester, are in over 60% of garments and are derived from fossil fuels
Polyester produces two to three times more carbon emissions than cotton
The dyeing and finishing of textiles is responsible for 3% of global CO₂ emissions
Energy Consumption and Emissions
- The textile industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions
- The fashion industry could account for 26% of global carbon emissions by 2050 if current trends continue
- Synthetic fibers, like polyester, are in over 60% of garments and are derived from fossil fuels
- Polyester produces two to three times more carbon emissions than cotton
- The dyeing and finishing of textiles is responsible for 3% of global CO₂ emissions
- Textile production contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined
- Nearly 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make polyester
- The fashion industry emits about 1.2 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year
- Clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014
- Textile manufacturing is responsible for 6-8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions
- The carbon footprint of a single white cotton shirt is 10.75 kg CO₂e
- Textiles release greenhouse gases equivalent to 300 million tons of CO₂ annually from washing and drying
- Garment production is estimated to double by 2030
- The industry uses more energy than both aviation and shipping combined
- The industry is growing at 5.5% annually, increasing pressure on environmental resources
- Fashion is responsible for 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined
- Recycled polyester uses 59% less energy compared to virgin polyester
- Between 2000 and 2015, textile production increased by 60%
- Coke and lignite are the most commonly used solid fuels in textile production, contributing to air pollution
Interpretation
In trying to look good, the fashion industry is burning through oil, energy, and the planet’s carbon budget faster than you can say “fast fashion”—producing more emissions than planes and ships combined, all for clothes that often outlive their trend but not their environmental toll.
Microfiber and Chemical Pollution
- Textiles account for approximately 35% of microplastics released into the ocean
- Cotton farming uses 24% of the world’s insecticides and 11% of pesticides
- Garment workers are exposed to toxic chemicals daily from dyeing and finishing processes
- One load of laundry can release up to 700,000 microplastic fibers
- Each year, more than 500,000 tons of microfibers are released into the ocean from laundry
- Viscose production contributes to deforestation and toxic chemical pollution
- Washing synthetic clothes accounts for 35% of released microplastics into the environment
- Employees in developing countries often lack protective gear while handling hazardous chemicals
- Chemicals used in production can persist in the environment for decades, bioaccumulating in wildlife
- Cotton uses 3% of the world’s arable land but consumes 6% of global pesticide sales
- 72 toxic chemicals have been identified in water solely from textile dyeing
- The textile industry uses more than 190,000 different chemicals, many of which are harmful
Interpretation
Beneath our stylish threads lies a toxic legacy, where fashion fuels pollution, poisons people and the planet, and turns laundry day into an ecological disaster.
Recycling and Circularity
- Only 13% of the total material input is recycled into the industry
- It is estimated recycling just 1 kg of textiles can save 3.6 kg of CO₂, 6,000 liters of water, and 0.3 kg of fertilizers
- Only 0.1% of clothing is recycled into new garments
- Less than 1% of used clothing is recycled back into new garments due to technological limitations
- Globally, only 20% of clothes are collected for reuse or recycling
Interpretation
Despite fashion’s flair for reinvention, the industry recycles less than 1% of its own castoffs into new garments—wasting a tailor-made opportunity to stitch sustainability into its seams.
Waste Generation and Landfills
- 85% of textiles go to landfills each year
- Over 16 million tons of textile waste is generated each year in the United States alone
- The average consumer buys 60% more clothing than 15 years ago and keeps them for half as long
- 80 billion garments are produced globally each year
- The average American throws away approximately 37 kg of clothes each year
- Secondhand clothing exports contribute to waste problems in developing countries
- Polyester can take up to 200 years to decompose
- 92 million tonnes of textile waste is created globally every year
- 25% of all plastic produced globally is used in textiles
- The average garment is only worn 7 times before being discarded
- An estimated 60% of garments end up in incinerators or landfills within a year of production
- 5% of global landfill space is occupied by textile waste
- Clothing consumption is projected to rise by 63% by 2030
- Globally, 87% of the textiles used for clothing end up incinerated or discarded in landfills
- Textile waste in landfills releases methane, a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than CO₂
- 40% of clothing purchased in some countries is never worn
- The average lifespan of a single garment today is only about 2.2 years
- In 2021, EU exported 1.4 million tons of used textiles, triple of 2000 amounts
- Up to 95% of textiles that go to landfills could be recycled
- 34.8 billion items of clothing are thrown away in the US each year
Interpretation
We're drowning in fast fashion's leftovers, trading quality for quantity as we stitch together a global crisis where clothes outlive their wearers, fill our landfills, warm our planet, and haunt the wardrobes of future generations.
Water Usage and Pollution
- 20% of global wastewater is produced by the fashion industry
- The industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water annually—enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people
- Making one cotton shirt uses 2,700 liters of water—the same amount the average person drinks in two and a half years
- It takes about 7,500 liters of water to make a pair of jeans
- 1.5 trillion liters of water are used by the fashion industry annually
- Up to 200 tons of water are used to dye one ton of textiles
- Leather tanning uses toxic chemicals like chromium which can pollute water supplies
- Nearly 20% of global industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment
- Traditional dye methods release harmful heavy metals and toxins into waterways
- Organic cotton reduces water consumption by up to 91% compared to conventional cotton
- In China, over 50% of surface water pollution comes from the dyeing and finishing industry
- Clothing manufacturing causes 20–25% of industrial water pollution globally
- Eco-friendly dyes and closed-loop production can reduce water pollution by 90%
- Water needed to produce a single T-shirt equals what one person drinks for 900 days
- 79 billion cubic meters of water per year used for fiber production, yarn preparation, dyeing, and finishing
- Wet processing units in India consume 400–1200 liters of water per kg of fabric
- In 2015, dyeing operations consumed 1.3 million tons of dyes globally, a major contributor to water pollution
- Wet textile processes generate effluents rich in dyes, acids, salts, metals, and surfactants
- Textile dyeing is the second largest water polluter globally after agriculture
Interpretation
The fashion industry may clothe the world, but it's stripping the planet bare—turning rivers into runways of pollution and flushing enough water to quench millions into a machine that’s anything but clean.