Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
Approximately 92 million tonnes of textiles are wasted globally each year
Only 12% of the material used for clothing ends up being recycled
The average American throws away about 81 pounds of clothing per year
85% of all textiles go to the dump each year
The textile industry is the second-largest polluter in the world
Only 1% of used clothing is recycled into new garments
Textile production accounts for 20% of global clean water pollution
Recycling 1 ton of textiles can save up to 20,000 liters of water
It takes 2,700 liters of water to produce one cotton shirt
Cotton farming accounts for 24% of global insecticide use and 11% of pesticide use
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated textile waste was 17 million tons in 2018
Clothing production has doubled between 2000 and 2014
The average number of times a garment is worn has decreased by 36% since 2000
Emission Reduction Potential
- Recycled polyester saves 30-40% energy compared to virgin polyester
- Clothing reuse can reduce total lifecycle emissions by 20-30%
- If half of used clothes were reused, annual carbon emissions could be reduced by 1.43 million tons
- Buying one secondhand item reduces its carbon footprint by 82%
- Textile recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the road
- Recycling 1 kg of textiles saves 3.6 kg of CO2 emissions
- Each kg of reused clothes avoids 25 kg of CO2 emissions on average
- Clothing rental services can reduce carbon emissions by up to 67%
- Clothing resale could cut fashion’s emissions in half by 2030 if scaled globally
Interpretation
If fashion stopped being so fast and started thinking secondhand, we could slash emissions like a hot knife through polyester—saving energy, ditching millions of cars' worth of CO₂, and proving that style doesn’t have to cost the Earth.
Environmental Impact
- The textile industry is the second-largest polluter in the world
- Textile production accounts for 20% of global clean water pollution
- It takes 2,700 liters of water to produce one cotton shirt
- Cotton farming accounts for 24% of global insecticide use and 11% of pesticide use
- Textile recycling has an environmental impact reduction of 20% for water and energy usage
- Polyester takes over 200 years to decompose
- Every year, 500,000 tons of plastic microfibers are released into the ocean from washing clothes
- Synthetic textile microfibers account for 35% of all microplastics in the ocean
- The fashion industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water annually
- Fast fashion contributes 10% of global carbon emissions
- 20% of global industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment
- Virgin textile production consumes about 98 million tonnes of non-renewable resources annually
- Almost 20% of global wastewater is made by the fashion industry
- A recycled cotton t-shirt saves 2,100 liters of water
- Clothing production emits more carbon per year than international flights and maritime shipping combined
Interpretation
In a world where one cotton shirt can drain 2,700 liters of water and fashion pollutes more than planes and ships, textile recycling isn’t just a trend—it's the overdue wardrobe rescue the planet's been dying to wear.
Production and Consumption Trends
- Clothing production has doubled between 2000 and 2014
- The average number of times a garment is worn has decreased by 36% since 2000
- Secondhand clothing market expected to double to $77 billion by 2025
- The resale of secondhand textiles grew 21 times faster than the regular apparel market in 2022
- Over 60% of clothing materials are plastics (synthetic fibers like polyester, nylon, acrylic)
- Consumers keep clothes half as long as they did 15 years ago
- EU consumes nearly 26 kg of textiles per person per year
- 1 in 3 young women consider garments worn once or twice to be old-fashioned
- Resale is projected to grow 11 times faster than traditional retail by 2025
- Up to 30% of clothing in European wardrobes has not been used for at least a year
- Clothing purchases increased by 60% between 2000 and 2014
Interpretation
Fast fashion is sprinting toward a landfill crisis, as we buy more, wear less, and toss synthetic-filled closets while secondhand markets scramble to stitch together a more sustainable future.
Recycling and Reuse
- Only 12% of the material used for clothing ends up being recycled
- Only 1% of used clothing is recycled into new garments
- Recycling 1 ton of textiles can save up to 20,000 liters of water
- Smart sorting technology can increase textile recycling efficiency by 25%
- Visual textile waste sorting systems can reach over 90% accuracy
- Used clothing exports from the US totaled 700,000 tons in 2018
- The African market receives 70% of global secondhand clothing
- Less than 0.1% of textiles get recycled back into the same quality textile product
- Mechanical recycling of textiles results in fiber quality loss, which limits its applications
- Only 14% of collected textiles are recycled and reused
- Over 60% of discarded clothes could be reused or recycled
- 45% of secondhand clothes collected in the U.S. are reused as apparel
- 30% of used clothing becomes industrial rags or insulation
- Only 13% of textile waste is recycled worldwide
- Globally, only 25% of unwanted textiles are collected for reuse/recycling
- India and Pakistan import more than 50% of Europe's textile waste
- Approximately 90% of donated textiles are sold to recyclers or exporters, not directly reused
- Chemical recycling technologies are being developed to recover high-quality textile fibers
- EU waste framework directive mandates separate collection of textile waste by 2025
- Resale and textile recycling could create $560 billion economic opportunity by 2030
- Sorting and grading costs of used textiles can account for up to 40% of operational costs in recycling
- Globally, just 2% of post-consumer textile waste is closed-loop recycled
- Clothing donations in the U.S. account for approximately 2.5 million tons per year
- Clothing resale extended 1 billion garment lifecycles in 2022
- Collection rates of household textile waste are as low as 15% in some EU countries
- Over 60% of used clothing collected for recycling ends up incinerated or landfilled
Interpretation
Despite the fashion industry's green promises, we're still dressing the planet in landfill chic—recycling a pitiful fraction of our clothes while burning or burying the rest, even as smarter tech and booming resale markets hint at a far more stylish solution.
Waste Generation
- Approximately 92 million tonnes of textiles are wasted globally each year
- The average American throws away about 81 pounds of clothing per year
- 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimated textile waste was 17 million tons in 2018
- 70 pounds of textiles per person are sent to landfills each year in the U.S.
- Textile waste comprises 7.7% of all landfill waste in the U.S.
- The UK sends 336,000 tonnes of used clothing to landfills each year
- 87% of the fiber input used for clothing ends up incinerated or in a landfill
- Approximately 15% of fabric intended for clothing ends up as pre-consumer waste
- On average, each person in the EU throws away 11 kg of textiles annually
- Textiles are one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world
- Consumers discard clothing based on fashion trends, not wear and tear, leading to 95% reusable waste
- The share of textile waste in household waste has increased 35% in the last 15 years
- 26% of landfill mass from emerging economies is textile waste
Interpretation
In a world where fashion changes by the season but landfill space doesn’t, our closets have become the frontlines of a global waste crisis—proof that fast fashion may be cheap at checkout but is costing the planet dearly.