Textile Waste Environmental Impact Statistics

About 85% of textiles in the U.S. are not recycled and instead end up in landfills or incineration [1]

In the U.S., textile waste generated was 10.5 million tons in 2018 [1]

In the U.S., textile waste generated was 9.7 million tons in 2016 [1]

In the U.S., textile waste generated was 12.1 million tons in 2020 [1]

In the EU, about 5.8 million tonnes of textiles are generated as waste each year [2]

In the EU, only 1.5 million tonnes of textiles are collected for reuse and recycling annually [3]

In the EU, the reuse and recycling rate for textiles is about 25% [3]

In the EU, almost 12 million tonnes of textiles end up in waste each year [3]

Globally, only about 15% of textiles are collected for reuse or recycling [4]

In the UK, textile waste sent to landfill decreased to 0.33 million tonnes in 2022 [5]

In the UK, total textile waste disposed was 0.95 million tonnes in 2022 [5]

In the UK, textile waste sent for incineration was 0.57 million tonnes in 2022 [5]

The U.S. EPA estimates textiles account for about 5% of municipal solid waste in the U.S. [6]

In the U.S., textiles represented 8.5% of the total materials in landfills in 2018 [7]

In the U.S., textile recycling rate is 15% or less [1]

In the EU, textile recycling rates are low and less than 1% becomes new textiles [3]

In the EU, mechanical recycling and downcycling dominate, with limited high-quality recycling [3]

Textiles are expected to become the second-largest cause of waste by 2050 if trends continue [8]

In the UK, textile waste generated was 1.8 million tonnes in 2022 (estimate) [5]

A study by Oakdene Hollins estimated that global textile waste is around 60 million tonnes per year [9]

In 2017, the U.S. generated about 17 million tons of textile waste including clothing and household textiles [1]

Textile waste in the EU is estimated at around 12.6 million tonnes in 2020 [3]

Around 30% of textile waste in the EU is sent to incineration [3]

About 70% is landfilled or landfilled/incineration depending on country [3]

Textile waste collection in the EU is about 25% of total waste generated [3]

Over 1 million tonnes of textile waste is generated in Germany each year (approx.) [10]

In Germany, the share of textiles collected separately for recycling increased to about 15% in 2021 [11]

In the U.S., textiles are the fourth-largest component of municipal solid waste by weight [1]

Textile recycling in the U.S. is estimated to divert about 2.7 million tons annually [1]

In the U.S., 2.2 million tons of textiles were recycled in 2018 [1]

Microplastics from textiles are estimated to represent 35% of microplastics entering the ocean from land-based sources [12]

Global shedding from synthetic textiles is estimated at 0.5 million tonnes per year [13]

After washing, synthetic textiles can shed microfibers at rates up to hundreds of thousands per wash depending on fabric and conditions [14]

One laundry cycle of a polyester garment can shed about 1900 fibers on average [15]

A study found that 42% of microplastics in wastewater effluent came from textiles in one setting [16]

The European Environment Agency notes that microfiber shedding is a key environmental impact of synthetic textiles [3]

Microplastics from textiles are estimated to contribute roughly 0.2–0.5 million tonnes per year globally [17]

Microplastics from synthetic textiles increase pollution in aquatic environments [12]

Synthetic fibers are persistent and can accumulate in oceans and waterways [12]

The OECD estimates that microfibres from synthetic textiles are a major source of marine microplastics [18]

The OECD notes that washing can release microfibers into wastewater [18]

A 2017 study measured microfiber release of about 7000 fibers per wash from certain synthetic fabrics [19]

A 2016 study reported microfiber release of around 730 mg per wash for a fleece blanket (synthetic) [20]

The U.S. EPA estimates that textiles in wastewater can contribute microplastics through laundering [21]

Microfiber filtration can remove a substantial fraction, e.g., textile microfibers can be reduced by many filters by 50–90% depending on device [18]

A report found that front-loading washing machines shed more than top-loaders for some fabrics [15]

Microfiber pollution persists because fibers are small and escape wastewater treatment [18]

Some wastewater treatment systems are not fully effective at capturing all microfibers [12]

Fiber shedding from washing can add to microplastic loads even with wastewater treatment upgrades [15]

Studies have found microfibers in rivers downstream of wastewater treatment plants [16]

UNEP describes that microplastics are ingested by aquatic organisms and can carry toxic chemicals [12]

Bangladesh’s textile and garment exports accounted for about 84% of total exports in 2022 [22]

China is the largest exporter of textiles and apparel globally [23]

Global clothing consumption increased by about 60% from 2000 to 2014 [24]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that 87% of garments are discarded in less than one year [25]

The global average consumer buys about 60% more clothing than 15 years ago [26]

In 2019, the EU’s total textile consumption was about 5.6 million tonnes of textiles per year (used to derive impacts) [3]

EU households account for a large portion of textile consumption; about 11 kg of textiles per person per year is used [3]

The EEA reports that EU per-capita textile consumption is around 26 kg/person/year [3]

The EEA reports that around 11 kg of textiles are consumed per person per year in Europe for new clothing and textiles [3]

Textile waste generation in the EU increased significantly between 2010 and 2019 [3]

The UN reports that fast fashion contributes to environmental pollution across the supply chain [27]

The EU’s circular strategy for textiles targets higher reuse and recycling rates over time [28]

The European Commission’s strategy for sustainable and circular textiles includes targets for textile waste reuse and recycling [29]

The EU’s textiles strategy aims to make reused and recycled textiles substantially increase by 2030 [29]

Fast fashion model leads to shorter garment lifetimes and more discard [30]

Dyeing and finishing chemicals include hazardous substances such as formaldehyde, nonylphenol ethoxylates, and heavy-metal dyes [31]

Textile chemicals can contain substances that are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBTs) [3]

The EU’s REACH regulation covers hazardous chemicals used in textile production [32]

Landfill leachate from textiles can carry dyes and chemicals into groundwater [33]

Viscose production uses chemicals like sulfuric acid in pulp processing [3]

Wool and other animal fibers are renewable but can contribute to impacts depending on farming practices [34]

The textile industry uses significant amounts of chemicals such as dyes and finishing agents [35]

Textile dyeing uses reactive dyes that may be difficult to remove from wastewater [35]

Effluent from textile dyeing can contain heavy metals such as chromium in some cases [36]

Formaldehyde is a concern in some finishing processes for textiles; it can be found in treated fabrics [37]

Nonylphenol and its ethoxylates are endocrine disruptors linked to textile processing wastewater [38]

In the EU, the textile sector is regulated under industrial emissions rules for certain facilities [39]

Textiles can contain hazardous substances that complicate recycling [3]

The textile industry is responsible for approximately 20% of global wastewater [40]

Textile dyeing and finishing processes account for about 20% of industrial water pollution [35]

Wastewater from the textile industry contains high levels of dyes, salts, and other chemicals [36]

The EEA highlights that cotton and viscose often have high water and chemical impacts due to cultivation and processing [3]

Dyeing wastewater can have a color intensity and high chemical oxygen demand (COD) [41]

Textile effluents can have COD values that are several times higher than typical domestic sewage [41]

The World Bank reports that up to 20% of global industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing [42]

Textiles are a major contributor to water pollution in countries with limited wastewater treatment capacity [35]

In industrial wastewater, salinity in textile effluents can reach high levels [43]

The World Bank describes that industrial textile and dyeing wastewater often contains dyes that reduce light penetration and oxygen in receiving waters [42]

Dye effluent can reduce dissolved oxygen and affect aquatic ecosystems [41]

The UN Environment Programme highlights that dyeing and finishing are among the most polluting steps in textile production [40]

Polyester and other synthetics dominate global fiber production, reaching about 62% of global fiber production [44]

Cotton is about 24% of global fiber production by mass [44]

In 2019, the world produced about 100 million tonnes of fiber [45]

In 2020, global apparel production reached about 109 billion pieces [46]

The EEA reports that most textiles are collected for sorting and downcycling [3]

Polyester is the dominant synthetic fiber in textiles, at about 55% of synthetic fibers by mass [47]

The global market share of polyester in fiber production is about 52–54%, depending on the year [48]

Nylon (polyamide) contributes significantly to synthetic textiles; its production share is around 6–7% of global fibers [3]

Blends of fibers (e.g., polyester-cotton) are harder to recycle than single-fiber materials [3]

Complex finishing treatments (dyes, coatings) affect recyclability [3]

In the EU, a substantial share of textile waste is mixed materials that limit recycling [3]

Incineration of textile waste can emit air pollutants including particulates and toxic compounds depending on composition and controls [3]

Burning synthetic textiles can generate toxic gases and acidic compounds [49]

The EEA indicates that sorting and recycling systems require energy and sorting impacts [3]

Sorting and transport contribute to carbon emissions; transportation is a measurable share of life cycle impacts [3]

A LCA benchmark indicates that end-of-life treatment (landfill/incineration/recycling) affects overall impacts for textiles [3]

Incineration without energy recovery can emit greenhouse gases and pollutants; emissions depend on composition [50]

Incineration of textiles results in thermal energy recovery but emits pollutants unless controlled [51]

WHO notes that some air pollutants from combustion include particulate matter and toxic organics depending on controls [52]

The textile sector includes significant combustion from waste management and can contribute to PM emissions [53]

Global textile industry greenhouse gas emissions are estimated at about 1.2 billion tonnes CO2e per year (≈2–8% of global total) [54]

The apparel and footwear sector’s greenhouse gas emissions are estimated at 8–10% of global emissions [55]

Fashion is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions [56]

In a Life Cycle Assessment example, producing 1 kg of polyester fabric emits about 4 kg CO2e [57]

For a 1 kg of cotton fabric, emissions are about 9 kg CO2e in some LCA benchmarks [57]

Textile reuse can reduce environmental impacts compared with new production; one estimate shows potential reductions depending on reuse lifetime [58]

Life cycle analyses show that keeping garments in use longer substantially lowers impacts [59]

Extending garment lifetime by 9 months can reduce impacts by 20–30%, depending on the impact category [60]

Recycling plastics reduces carbon emissions compared with virgin production; similar logic applies to synthetic textiles recycling [61]

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports that the clothing sector uses 79 billion cubic meters of water annually in production [62]