Key Insights
The fashion industry is responsible for 20 per cent of global waste water
Textile production uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually
To make a single pair of jeans it takes about 2,000 gallons (approx 7,500 liters) of water
The fashion industry accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions
Textile production generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined
The apparel industry's global emissions are projected to increase by 50% by 2030
92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced every year
Less than 1% of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing
The average American throws away approximately 81 pounds of clothing each year
Textiles account for 35% of primary microplastics released into the environment
Approximately 500,000 tons of microfibers are released into the ocean yearly from washing clothes
A single wash load of polyester clothes can discharge 700,000 microplastic fibres
Synthetic fibers represent 69% of all global fiber production
Cotton cultivation uses 2.5% of the world's arable land
70 million trees are cut down each year to make fabrics like viscose and rayon
Chemical Use & Microplastics
Textiles account for 35% of primary microplastics released into the environment
Approximately 500,000 tons of microfibers are released into the ocean yearly from washing clothes
A single wash load of polyester clothes can discharge 700,000 microplastic fibres
43 million tonnes of chemicals are used in textile production every year
Over 8,000 synthetic chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles
Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) banned in EU are still found in 27% of imported textiles
16% of pesticide sales globally are for cotton farming
Forever chemicals (PFAS) are commonly found in water-resistant clothing samples
Formaldehyde a known carcinogen is used in wrinkle-free fabrics
2.2 million tonnes of microfibers will enter the ocean between 2015 and 2050 at current rates
Microplastics from textiles have been found in the deepest parts of the Mariana Trench
Textile workers in developing nations have 5x higher rates of cancer due to chemical exposure
Heavy metals like chromium and cadmium are widely used in leather tanning and dyes
Wearing polyester clothing releases more microfibers into the air than washing them does into water
Conventional textile finishing often uses Azo dyes which can release carcinogenic amines
98% of future fiber demand growth is expected to be in synthetics increasing plastic load
Only about 5% of chemicals used in textile production are considered environmentally benign
Roughly 60% of all clothing material is now plastic (synthetic)
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) used for stain resistance persist in the environment for centuries
Microfibers are now the most prevalent type of debris found in shorelines worldwide
Interpretation
We're literally dressing ourselves in pollution: the textile industry now accounts for about 35% of primary microplastics, sheds roughly 500,000 tonnes of microfibres to the oceans each year while a single polyester wash can emit hundreds of thousands of fibres, and relies on millions of tonnes and thousands of persistent, toxic chemicals that contaminate ecosystems and raise cancer risks for workers.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Energy
The fashion industry accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions
Textile production generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined
The apparel industry's global emissions are projected to increase by 50% by 2030
Producing polyester releases two to three times more carbon emissions than cotton
A single pair of running shoes generates approx 13.6kg of CO2 emissions
Buying one used item reduces its carbon footprint by 82%
70% of the fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions come from upstream activities like material production
If the fashion sector continues on its current trajectory its share of the carbon budget will jump to 26% by 2050
Nylon production emits nitrous oxide a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide
A polyester shirt has a carbon footprint of 5.5 kg CO2e compared to 2.1 kg CO2e for a cotton shirt
The footwear industry alone accounts for 1.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions
Online shopping returns in the US alone created 15 million metric tons of carbon emissions in 2020
Fast fashion brands produce 2-4 times the amount of emissions per revenue dollar compared to traditional players
Washing and drying clothing accounts for 120 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually
Extending the life of a garment by 9 months reduces carbon, waste and water footprints by 20-30%
Making 1 kg of fabric generates an average of 23 kg of greenhouse gases
Global fiber production has almost doubled in the last 20 years driving energy demand up continuously
Only 60% of the energy used in textile mills is utilized productively with 40% lost as waste heat
Ironing a shirt adds about 15% to the lifetime energy impact of that garment
Air freight in the fashion supply chain can result in 100 times more emissions than sea freight
Interpretation
Put bluntly, the fashion industry already punches far above its weight, accounting for about 10% of global carbon emissions and producing more greenhouse gases than all international flights and shipping combined, with emissions set to rise 50% by 2030 and potentially consuming 26% of the remaining carbon budget by 2050; the problem is driven upstream, where material production creates 70% of the footprint, and by synthetic fibers, since polyester emits two to three times the carbon of cotton and nylon production releases nitrous oxide that is 300 times more potent than CO2, which helps explain why a polyester shirt has about 5.5 kg CO2e compared with 2.1 kg for cotton and a single pair of running shoes generates roughly 13.6 kg, while the footwear sector alone accounts for 1.4% of global emissions, online returns in the United States produced 15 million tonnes of CO2 in 2020, washing and drying clothing adds 120 million tonnes annually, inefficient mills lose 40% of energy as waste heat and ironing adds about 15% to a garment's lifetime energy impact, and air freight can multiply emissions a hundredfold compared with sea freight; the good news is that choices matter, because buying one used item cuts its carbon footprint by about 82% and extending a garment's life by nine months reduces carbon, waste and water footprints by 20 to 30%.
Raw Material Impact
Synthetic fibers represent 69% of all global fiber production
Cotton cultivation uses 2.5% of the world's arable land
70 million trees are cut down each year to make fabrics like viscose and rayon
342 million barrels of oil are used each year to produce plastic-based fibers
Conventionally grown cotton degrades soil quality leading to lower yields over time
Livestock for leather production occupies 30% of the earth's ice-free land surface
Wool production contributes to land degradation and desertification in places like Mongolia
Less than 1% of the cotton grown globally is organic
Polyamide (Nylon) production is highly energy-intensive consuming more energy than polyester
MMFCs (Man Made Cellulosic Fibers) have doubled in market share since 1990 creating forest pressure
Producing 1kg of cow leather has an environmental impact roughly 20x that of synthetic leather (though synthetic adds plastic)
Bamboo fabric is often marketed as green but its chemical processing is chemically intensive like heavy rayon
Cashmere production has caused the loss of 15% of Mongolian grasslands due to goat overgrazing
By 2030 global requirement for apparel fibers will reach 145 million tons
99% of leather is tanned using chromium which is toxic if not managed
Recycled polyester relies mainly on PET bottles rather than textile-to-textile recycling
Elastane (Spandex) mixed into fabrics makes them nearly impossible to recycle
Bio-based synthetics currently make up less than 1% of the synthetic fiber market
Silk has a higher environmental footprint per kg than cotton due to the energy needed to boil cocoons
Hemp yields 200-250% more fibre per hectare than cotton with half the water
Interpretation
If environmental impact were a fashion trend, the textile industry would be sewing a crisis: 69 percent of fibers are synthetic and gulp 342 million barrels of oil a year, man made cellulosic fibers like viscose and rayon cut 70 million trees annually and have doubled market share since 1990, livestock for leather occupies 30 percent of the planet's ice free land while a kilogram of cow leather can have roughly twenty times the footprint of synthetic leather and nearly all hides are chrome tanned, less than one percent of cotton is organic and conventional cotton degrades soil, recycled polyester relies mostly on PET bottles and elastane makes fabrics nearly impossible to recycle, bamboo is often chemically processed like heavy rayon, silk and some wools can outpollute cotton per kilogram, cashmere has stripped fifteen percent of Mongolian grasslands, by 2030 fiber demand could hit about 145 million tons, bio based synthetics remain under one percent, and yet hemp can produce two to two and a half times more fibre per hectare using half the water.
Waste & Recycling
92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced every year
Less than 1% of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing
The average American throws away approximately 81 pounds of clothing each year
87% of the total fiber input used for clothing is eventually incinerated or landfilled
Textile waste is anticipated to increase by about 60% between 2015 and 2030
In the US textile waste occupies nearly 5% of all landfill space
Consumers buy 60% more clothing than 15 years ago but keep items for half as long
Approximately 30% of clothes produced specifically for fast fashion are never sold
Every second the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned
Only 12% of material used for clothing ends up being recycled in some form (mostly downcycled)
The Atacama Desert in Chile has become a dumping ground for approx 39,000 tons of unsold clothes annually
73% of the world's clothing eventually ends up in landfills
Deadstock (unsold inventory) destroys billions of dollars of value of goods annually
Up to 5% of all waste in Australian landfills is textiles
In 2018 in the U.S. 11.3 million tons of textile waste went to landfills
Sorting textiles for recycling remains manual with only a few automated plants globally
The market for secondhand fashion is expected to overtake fast fashion by 2030
Burning synthetic clothes releases microplastics and toxic fumes into the air
The UK sends 300,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill annually
Recycling 1 tonne of textiles saves 20 tonnes of CO2 from being released
Interpretation
The world's wardrobe has become a gigantic environmental faux pas: 92 million tonnes of textile waste a year, less than one percent recycled back into clothing, the equivalent of a garbage truck of textiles burned or buried every second, and up to 73% of garments ultimately in landfills or dumps, which shows that buying more and keeping items half as long is costing us ecosystems, carbon budgets, and trillions in squandered value.
Water Consumption & Pollution
The fashion industry is responsible for 20 per cent of global waste water
Textile production uses around 93 billion cubic meters of water annually
To make a single pair of jeans it takes about 2,000 gallons (approx 7,500 liters) of water
The water required to produce one cotton shirt is approximately 2,700 liters
Textile dyeing and treatment is responsible for approx 20% of global industrial water pollution
Cotton farming is responsible for the consumption of 16% of all insecticides worldwide
The Aral Sea has shrunk to just 10% of its former volume largely due to cotton irrigation
4% of global freshwater withdrawal is attributed to apparel production
Organic cotton uses 91% less water than conventional cotton (though yields differ)
One kilogram of cotton takes between 10,000 and 20,000 liters of water to produce
In China 70% of rivers and lakes are contaminated largely by textile industry effluents
Processing one ton of dyed fabric can require up to 200 tons of water
The Blue River in China was named for the indigo dye pollution from denim factories
Reducing water use in textile dyeing by 50% could save enough water for 1.5 million people annually
85% of the daily water needs of the entire population of India would be covered by the water used to grow cotton in the country
Leather tanning utilizes approximately 16,000 liters of water per kilogram of hide
Global production of polyester requires less water than cotton but polluted wastewater is harder to treat
Runoff from textile agriculture contributes significantly to eutrophication in aquatic zones
Approximately 200,000 tons of dyes are lost to effluents every year during textile operations
Viscose production wastewater creates dead zones in water bodies due to high chemical loads
Interpretation
Fashion is guzzling the planet’s water and staining its rivers, consuming about 93 billion cubic meters a year and generating roughly 20 percent of global wastewater while a single pair of jeans needs about 7,500 liters and cotton can take 10,000 to 20,000 liters per kilogram, textile dyeing and treatment cause about 20 percent of industrial water pollution and lose some 200,000 tons of dyes to effluent annually which helps explain why around 70 percent of China’s rivers and lakes are contaminated and why viscose and leather processing create dead zones with leather tanning using roughly 16,000 liters per kilogram, and yet simple shifts like organic cotton that uses 91 percent less water and halving dyeing water could save billions of liters and water millions of people.
Sources & References
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