Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The textile industry produces approximately 92 million tons of waste annually
87% of total fiber input used for clothing ends up incinerated or disposed of in a landfill
The average American throws away approximately 81 pounds of clothing each year
Textile production emits about 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent per year, more than international flights and maritime shipping combined
Around 20% of global wastewater is attributed to textile dyeing and treatment
Less than 1% of used clothing is recycled into new garments
In 2018, 17 million tons of textile waste was generated in the United States alone
Only 15.2% of textiles were recycled in the U.S. in 2017
Polyester, the most commonly used clothing fiber, can take up to 200 years to decompose
Producing one kilogram of cotton garments requires over 20,000 liters of water
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions
Clothing consumption is projected to rise 63% by 2030, leading to more textile waste
Over 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make polyester
Consumer Behavior
- The average lifetime of a clothing item has decreased by 36% in the last 15 years
- The average UK consumer buys 26.7kg of clothing per year
- The average consumer buys 60% more clothing today than 15 years ago
- Clothing use in high-income countries has dropped by more than 40% in the last two decades
- The average number of times a garment is worn has decreased by 36% globally since 2000
- 30% of all clothes in Americans’ closets haven't been worn in over a year
Interpretation
We're stuffing our closets like fashion hoarders on fast-forward, buying more, wearing less, and tossing garments out faster than the planet—or our wardrobes—can handle.
Environmental Impact
- Textile production emits about 1.2 billion tons of CO2 equivalent per year, more than international flights and maritime shipping combined
- Around 20% of global wastewater is attributed to textile dyeing and treatment
- Polyester, the most commonly used clothing fiber, can take up to 200 years to decompose
- The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions
- Cotton farming accounts for 24% of the world’s insecticide use
- Textile waste in landfills release methane gas as they decompose, contributing to climate change
- The global market for textile recycling is expected to reach $8 billion by 2026
- Synthetic textiles contribute 35% of all ocean microplastics
- Textile dyeing is the second-largest polluter of clean water after agriculture
- Garment manufacturing generates about 20% of industrial water pollution globally
- Textile-related microfibers account for 16–35% of ocean plastic pollution
- Each washing of synthetic fabrics releases 700,000 microfibers into water systems
- Textile manufacturing releases 20% of the world’s water pollution
- 35% of microplastics in oceans come from synthetic textiles
- Clothing production contributes to 3% of global CO2 emissions
- By 2050, fashion could use 25% of the world's carbon budget
- Over 1,900 microfibers can be released during a single wash of synthetic clothing
- The carbon footprint of clothing in the EU was 270 kg CO2 per person per year in 2020
- Washing synthetic clothes accounts for 35% of primary microplastics in the environment
- Textile dust and microfibers contaminate indoor air quality
Interpretation
Fashion may be fabulous, but behind the seams it’s a toxic thread: a globe-warming, water-polluting, microplastic-shedding juggernaut that pumps out more emissions than planes and ships combined, dyes rivers, poisons soils, and could steal a quarter of our carbon budget by 2050—all for clothes we throw away after a season.
Production Inefficiencies
- Less than 1% of used clothing is recycled into new garments
- The EU recycles only 1% of clothing materials into new clothes
Interpretation
Despite our closets overflowing, less than 1% of used clothing gets a second chance as a new garment—proving that in fashion, waste is always in style, but recycling rarely is.
Resource Consumption
- Producing one kilogram of cotton garments requires over 20,000 liters of water
- Over 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make polyester
- The fashion industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water annually
- An average t-shirt requires 2,700 liters of water to produce
- Approximately 60% of clothing is made from plastic-derived fibers
- Clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014
- The textile industry uses over 8,000 synthetic chemicals in manufacturing
- In 2015, textile mills used over 79 billion cubic meters of water
- One pair of jeans needs about 3,781 liters of water through its life cycle
- Textile production requires 98 million tons of oil annually
- Textile processing is one of the largest consumers of water among all industries
- 25% of global pesticide use is associated with cotton farming
- Nearly 12% of global insecticides are used on cotton crops
Interpretation
Behind every fast-fashion bargain lies a hidden cost stitched in oil, soaked in water, and dyed with enough chemicals to make your closet a climate culprit in couture.
Waste Generation
- The textile industry produces approximately 92 million tons of waste annually
- 87% of total fiber input used for clothing ends up incinerated or disposed of in a landfill
- The average American throws away approximately 81 pounds of clothing each year
- In 2018, 17 million tons of textile waste was generated in the United States alone
- Only 15.2% of textiles were recycled in the U.S. in 2017
- Clothing consumption is projected to rise 63% by 2030, leading to more textile waste
- Americans discard about 13 million tons of textiles annually, much of which ends up in landfills
- One garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or incinerated every second
- The U.S. alone sends 85% of its textiles to landfills or incineration
- Fast fashion leads to 30% of clothes being unsold globally every year
- Each year, clothing worth over $500 billion is lost due to underutilized resources and lack of recycling
- Only 14% of clothing is collected for recycling globally
- Europe generates 2.8 billion tons of textile waste annually
- Less than 25% of post-consumer textile waste is reused or converted into new products
- In the UK, 300,000 tons of clothing end up in landfills each year
- Globally, only 20% of textiles are collected for reuse or recycling
- Clothing landfill rates have increased over 40% in U.S. over the last 20 years
- 85% of textile waste in the US goes to landfill or incineration annually
- Nearly 5% of all landfill space is consumed by textile waste
- Textile waste contributes to 10% of solid waste in municipal landfills
- Over 95% of textiles are recyclable, but only a small percentage are
- Clothing that ends up in landfills can take over 200 years to break down
- 90% of the water used in textile dyeing is drained off as wastewater
- Around 15% of fabric used in garment production is wasted
- Only 10% of donated clothing is sold in charity shops; the rest is exported or ends up as waste
- Globally, 21 billion tons of textile waste is sent to landfills annually
- Only 13% of the total material input is recycled after clothing use
- Garment production is estimated to double by 2030, increasing waste
- 2.5 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste are generated annually in the U.S.
- Up to 20% of textiles are wasted during the cutting process
- 60% of discarded clothing ends up in landfills within a year of production
Interpretation
In a world spinning fast on fashion’s hamster wheel, we’re weaving mountains of waste from clothes we barely wear—proving that our closets are overflowing while our sustainability is hanging by a thread.