Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The textile industry consumes approximately 93 billion cubic meters of water annually.
Water consumption in textile production is projected to increase by 50% by 2030.
The fashion industry is responsible for approximately 4% of all global freshwater withdrawal.
Cotton cultivation uses approximately 2.6% of the world's water use.
Producing 1kg of cotton requires between 10,000 and 20,000 liters of water.
The Aral Sea shrunk to 10% of its former volume largely due to cotton irrigation.
Wet processing (dyeing and finishing) uses approximately 100-150 liters of water per 1 kg of textile material.
Textile bleaching requires roughly 12 liters of water per kg of fabric.
The water-to-fabric ratio in conventional soft flow dyeing machines is roughly 10:1.
72 distinct toxic chemicals have been identified in textile wastewater.
Textile dyeing serves as the second largest polluter of water globally.
80% of wastewater in developing countries (including textile hubs) is discharged without treatment.
It takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton t-shirt.
A single pair of jeans requires approximately 7,500 to 10,000 liters of water to produce.
One leather pair of shoes has a water footprint of about 8,000 liters.
Global Industry Volume
- The textile industry consumes approximately 93 billion cubic meters of water annually.
- Water consumption in textile production is projected to increase by 50% by 2030.
- The fashion industry is responsible for approximately 4% of all global freshwater withdrawal.
- The textile sector is the second largest user of water in the world after agriculture.
- In China, the textile industry withdraws over 3 billion tons of water annually.
- Textile mills in India consume approximately 1.6 million liters of water per day on average.
- The global demand for water in the fashion industry is expected to exceed supply by 40% by 2030.
- Approximately 20% of global industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and finishing.
- The apparel industry's water consumption is enough to fill 37 million Olympic swimming pools annually.
- Without changes, the industry's water footprint could expand to 118 billion cubic meters by 2030.
- Asia accounts for the largest share of the textile industry's water consumption due to manufacturing concentration.
- Textile production contributes to high water stress in regions like Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- The industry's water usage creates competition with local communities for drinking water.
- Almost 2 billion people legally live in water-scarce areas where textiles are often produced.
- Global textile water consumption doubled between 2000 and 2015.
- 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.
- Viscose staple fiber production consumes roughly twice as much water as polyester production globally.
- The textile industry creates intense water stress in the Mekong Delta region.
- Current textile water usage rates contribute to the rapid depletion of groundwater reserves in Pakistan.
- Water consumption in the textile sector represents 3% of the total water footprint of global production.
Interpretation
The fashion industry drinks about 93 billion cubic meters of water a year, enough to fill 37 million Olympic pools, and with consumption that doubled since 2000 and is projected to rise 50 percent by 2030, textile production has become a major polluter and driver of local water stress from Dhaka to the Mekong Delta, threatening groundwater and drinking supplies for millions and risking a projected 40 percent gap between supply and demand unless practices change.
Pollution & Wastewater
- 72 distinct toxic chemicals have been identified in textile wastewater.
- Textile dyeing serves as the second largest polluter of water globally.
- 80% of wastewater in developing countries (including textile hubs) is discharged without treatment.
- Textile effluent contains high levels of sulfates which can corrode concrete pipes.
- Approximately 0.5 million tonnes of microfibers are released into the ocean every year from washing textiles.
- A single load of laundry can release 700,000 microfibers into waterways.
- Textile wastewater has a high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), often exceeding 5000 mg/L.
- Synthetic dyes in wastewater prevent light penetration affecting aquatic photosynthesis.
- Heavy metals like Chromium VI are characteristic pollutants in leather and textile tanning wastewater.
- Citarum River in Indonesia is considered one of the most polluted rivers due to 400+ textile factories.
- Textile effluent often has a pH varying from 2 to 12 causing aquatic ecosystem damage.
- Thermal pollution occurs when hot textile wastewater (often 40°C+) is discharged into rivers.
- Azo dyes found in textile wastewater can degrade into carcinogenic amines.
- 35% of all primary microplastics in the ocean comes from the laundry of synthetic textiles.
- In Tirupur, India, textile dye units previously destroyed local agriculture due to salt discharge.
- Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems can recover 95% of water from textile wastewater.
- PFAS (forever chemicals) are frequently detected in waterways near textile performance-wear factories.
- Sludge generated from textile wastewater treatment poses a secondary soil and water contamination risk.
- Alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) in textile detergents are toxic to aquatic life.
- The decomposition of organic matter in textile waste depletes dissolved oxygen in rivers.
Interpretation
Stitched into every garment is a hidden environmental invoice: textile dyeing, the second largest water polluter, sends effluent laced with 72 identified toxics, heavy metals such as chromium VI, PFAS and azo dyes and salt that wreck soils, plus sulfate-rich, pH-extreme and thermally hot wastewater that corrodes pipes and suffocates rivers, while hundreds of thousands of microfibers from a single laundry load and vast untreated discharges from developing-country hubs pour primary microplastics into the ocean, reminding us that unless technologies such as Zero Liquid Discharge are widely adopted, fashion’s convenience will keep costing freshwater and marine ecosystems dearly.
Processing & Manufacturing
- Wet processing (dyeing and finishing) uses approximately 100-150 liters of water per 1 kg of textile material.
- Textile bleaching requires roughly 12 liters of water per kg of fabric.
- The water-to-fabric ratio in conventional soft flow dyeing machines is roughly 10:1.
- Continuous dyeing processes consume between 20 to 50 liters of water per kg of fabric.
- Printing textiles consumes approximately 4-16 liters of water per kg of fabric.
- Denim finishing (stone washing) traditionally uses about 70 liters of water per pair of jeans.
- Digital textile printing can save up to 60% of water compared to conventional screen printing.
- Scouring (cleaning) wool requires 15–20 liters of water per kg of wool.
- Air-dyeing technology uses up to 95% less water than traditional dyeing methods.
- Cooling water for on-site power generation accounts for 10-15% of textile mill water use.
- Sizing processes in weaving consume roughly 5-10% of total process water.
- Rinsing phases in dyeing account for the majority (up to 70%) of process water usage.
- Using supercritical CO2 for dyeing eliminates water use in the dyeing phase entirely.
- Mercerization of cotton requires approximately 30 liters of water per kg.
- Desizing operations produce effluents with high COD but use relatively low water volumes compared to bleaching.
- Boiler feed water constitutes about 15% of total water consumption in a composite textile mill.
- Foam dyeing technology reduces water consumption by 50%.
- Laser finishing for denim reduces water usage by nearly 100% at the finishing stage.
- Soap washing of dyed fabric consumes 2 to 4 baths of water.
- Conventional polyester dyeing is done at high pressure requiring significant cooling water.
Interpretation
These figures show the textile industry guzzles staggering amounts of water, with wet processing consuming up to 150 liters per kilogram and rinsing, cooling and traditional denim finishing eating large shares, while digital printing, air-dyeing, foam dyeing, supercritical CO2 and laser finishing prove the sector could dramatically slash water use by swapping baths for innovation.
Product Footprint
- It takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton t-shirt.
- A single pair of jeans requires approximately 7,500 to 10,000 liters of water to produce.
- One leather pair of shoes has a water footprint of about 8,000 liters.
- A polyester shirt has a water footprint of roughly 300-500 liters (significantly less than cotton).
- A bed sheet (cotton) requires approximately 9,750 liters of water to produce.
- One kilogram of cow leather requires roughly 17,000 liters of water.
- The water footprint of a diaper is approximately 815 liters per kg of product.
- Nylon fabric requires approximately 185 liters of water per kg of material.
- Buying one used item replaces the need to manufacture a new one minimizing water impact by 100%.
- Extending the life of a garment by 9 months reduces its water footprint by 20-30%.
- A standard hotel towel (300g) uses about 1,600 liters of water in its production lifecycle.
- Consumers washing clothes accounts for 20-25% of the total water footprint of a garment's life.
- A pair of nylon stockings requires roughly 100 liters of water to produce.
- Recycled cotton reduces water consumption by up to 99% compared to virgin cotton.
- Recycled polyester requires 50% less water than virgin polyester.
- One chemical-free tanned leather bag saves roughly 20 liters of water in processing.
- 40% of the water footprint of a cotton shirt occurs at the consumer use stage (laundry).
- A single cotton diaper uses about 14 times more water to produce than a disposable one (though disposable has higher non-water impacts).
- Dope-dyed fibers reduce the water footprint of the final fabric by up to 80%.
- Upcycling denim avoids the extraction of new raw materials saving thousands of liters per item.
Interpretation
From 2,700 liters for a cotton T-shirt to up to 10,000 for jeans and 17,000 per kilogram of leather, the fashion industry is literally drinking the planet dry, and thankfully buying used, extending wear, and choosing recycled or dope-dyed materials can dramatically shrink that water bill.
Raw Material Cultivation
- Cotton cultivation uses approximately 2.6% of the world's water use.
- Producing 1kg of cotton requires between 10,000 and 20,000 liters of water.
- The Aral Sea shrunk to 10% of its former volume largely due to cotton irrigation.
- Approximately 57% of global cotton production takes place in areas with high water stress.
- Organic cotton farming can reduce blue water consumption by up to 91% compared to conventional cotton.
- Growing cotton accounts for 69% of the water footprint of textile fiber production.
- Rain-fed cotton has a significantly lower blue water footprint than irrigated cotton.
- It takes approximately 10,000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of raw cotton.
- Producing 1kg of hemp requires roughly 2,123 liters of water, far less than cotton.
- The water footprint of flax (linen) cultivation is approximately 2,866 liters per kg.
- Polyester production requires less water than cotton but uses significant cooling water.
- Wool production has a water footprint of roughly 142,000 liters per metric ton (mostly green water).
- 73% of cotton global harvest comes from irrigated land.
- In the Indus River basin, 97% of water consumption is attributed to cotton production.
- Cotton farming consumes nearly 3% of the world's irrigation water.
- Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) farmers used 14% less water than comparison farmers in Pakistan.
- Silk production requires approximately 600 liters of water per 1 meter of fabric.
- Producing lyocell fiber uses 95% less water than producing cotton.
- 1kg of viscose requires approximately 3,000 liters of water during the pulp stage.
- Excessive groundwater extraction for cotton has led to land subsidence in parts of California.
Interpretation
If clothing had a thirst meter, cotton would be a firehose—gulping roughly 10,000 liters per kilogram, draining rivers and aquifers enough to help shrink the Aral Sea and leaving much of its production in water-stressed regions, while hemp, linen, lyocell and smarter farming like organic, rain-fed and BCI practices sip far less and could help stop fashion from costing us our water.
References
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