10 Alarming Clothing Waste Statistics

In a world brimming with environmental concerns, awareness about clothing waste is still lacking.

Surely you’ve heard of big fashion conglomerates that bulk up their inventories with thousands of new items every week, adding to the growing problem of overproduction. And let’s be real, our consumption habits are pretty out of control too.

This blog post aims to delve deeper into the staggering statistics surrounding fashion waste, shedding light on the magnitude of the problem. We’ll explore the data and examine the role of fast fashion in exacerbating this issue.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. We’ll also provide insights into more sustainable choices and how consumers, designers, and manufacturers can play a pivotal role in reducing clothing waste.

Why clothing waste matters 

Sustainable alternatives and waste recycling guides are more readily available as eco-friendly choices have slowly been incorporated into our everyday lives. But how many skeletons remain in our closets?

As the effects of climate change have become more devastating, consumers and businesses alike have had to reflect on just how much of our lifestyle affects our environment. In this context, the question of fashion consumption has come to the forefront. 

Let’s be real, the carbon footprint of our closets grows bigger by the day. From the Fashion Week circuit, to saturated social media feeds and the store windows of your local department store, new clothing, new trends, and new styles surround us at every turn.

But what’s also true is that the fashion world is a gateway to creative expression and personal identity. What we wear often reflects who we are. While the industry isn’t going anywhere, it has much room for improvement. With growing awareness of the climate crisis, change is on the horizon.

To drive positive change, we must first confront just how extensive the environmental influence of clothing waste is. From microplastics being released into the ocean to painfully slow decomposition rates, the imprint our garments leave on the planet is enormous.

Here are 10 statistics about the fashion industry waste that further highlight this massive issue.

10 clothing waste statistics 

1. The global fashion industry produces and sells around 100 billion units yearly.

It’s hard to grasp just how colossal the apparel market has become. With such a great impact on the global economy—valued at over $1.8 trillion to be exact—comes an even greater responsibility. Although the fashion industry contributes to economic growth and provides employment for countless designers, garment workers, logistic experts, and retail workers, the environmental impact is growing. This is largely due to resource exploitation, extensive water usage, transportation, and traditional retail models producing clothing in bulk. More on that later.

2. The average consumer purchases 53 new items of clothing per year—four times as much as in 2000.

Since the early aughts, our closets have gotten fuller and fuller, and each piece of clothing is kept only half as long as it used to be.

Why do we own so many clothes? Research points to the global reach of fast fashion retailers and social media. High-street fashion brands have become household names, securing locations in the heart of every major city and town, making clothing more affordable and accessible than ever before. Similarly, social media marketing popularizes current fashion trends—and so do social media influencers, whose dedicated audiences effectively propel promoted brand sales.

Source: Unsplash

What’s more, over half of our garments get discarded less than a year after they have been purchased, leading to excessive fashion waste. An unsettling fact indeed.

It’s normal to swap out old garments with new clothing at some point or another. But how can we avoid discarding clothes prematurely? 

For example, buying unique, custom clothing makes us more likely to hold onto an item long-term and less likely to rotate it out of our wardrobe. If brands were to embrace more customized options through business models like on-demand production, this could help create more mindful shopping habits (and “forever pieces” to be worn and loved for a long time). 

3. We wear clothes as few as 7 times before tossing them out.

While consumer habits vary across regions and income levels, fast fashion’s throwaway culture is especially prevalent among higher-income groups, who are responsible for the largest share of fashion’s carbon footprint. 

To top that, broken zippers, low-quality closures, rips, tears, and pilling—cheaply-made garments can really be a nuisance, too, making it harder to extend the shelf life of our clothing. This cycle of short-lived wear only serves to accelerate the industry’s environmental impact. 

Solution? For starters, try focusing on higher-quality garments and gentle care for them. 

4. The US alone is accountable for 17 million tons of textile waste every year.

Source: Shutterstock

Fast fashion has fueled a waste crisis, with about 85% of used textiles ending up in landfills—many of them unsold and unworn (more on that later). Globally, this adds up to 92 million tons of discarded clothing each year. It’s a clear sign that the industry needs a shift in both production and consumption habits to minimize fast fashion waste.

Learning to repurpose and upcycle clothing would be a more sustainable path, transforming old or unwanted garments into new, useful items. Not only would this reduce the burden on landfills, but it also fosters a culture of creativity and paves the way for a more sustainable future, helping to curb the relentless cycle of textile waste.

5. The fashion industry is responsible for up to 10% of global carbon emissions every year.

When it comes to carbon emissions, we tend to point fingers at international flights or maritime shipping as the culprits of the ongoing climate crisis. Surprisingly enough, the fashion industry’s annual carbon footprint is so significant that it exceeds the emissions of the aviation and shipping industries combined. And by 2030, fashion’s greenhouse gas emissions are expected to grow by more than 50%.

6. Discarded textiles can take up to 200 years to decompose.

Along with plastic bottles, milk cartons, tin cans, and food scraps, much of our old clothing sits in landfills. As textile waste gets loaded in landfills, our old garments undergo a decomposition process. Or that’s what we hope. Some of it breaks down more steadily, but some of it lingers way longer. 

When it comes to the decomposition process, natural fibers break down notably quicker than synthetics. Cotton, linen, silk, and wool consist of organic compounds that, in the right conditions, will disintegrate relatively fast. However, synthetic materials like polyester, nylon, and acrylic decompose slower—if at all.

All the more reason to cherish and maintain your current wardrobe. Extend the lifecycle of your clothes by embracing air-drying and occasionally forgoing a wash. Basic mending skills and a fabric shaver will come in handy, too. When it’s finally time to bid adieu to your cherished pieces, follow your local waste management guidelines. And if apparel isn’t collected separately in your area, raise your voice and advocate for it with your city council.

Source: Daily Sabah

7. Only 1 percent of post-consumer textiles get recycled into new clothes.

Textile waste statistics show that just 1% of all post-consumer textiles in the European market are recycled into new clothes. While some clothes are resold or made into industrial rags, the textile repurpose rate remains alarmingly low, not just in Europe but across the globe.

This can be explained by multiple complex factors, starting from limited consumer awareness on what to do with discarded clothing and ending with the amount of manual labor required to sort the textile waste. However, the two main reasons are rather simple: both the advanced technology and the surrounding infrastructure required to recycle material blends are largely still in development.

Source: Close The Loop

8. More than half of fashion retailers face excess stock.

In recent years, fashion retailers have seen a shift in consumer behaviors and come up against supply chain disruptions. The resulting dip in sales has caused a significant amount of dead stock that retailers have had to grapple with. Part of dead stock ends up being sold in sales or outlets, but a major part winds up as waste.

It doesn’t have to be this way. For example, print-on-demand services enable brands to avoid overproducing and overstocking inventory by selling items only produced after a customer has placed an order. Meaning, companies aren’t left with excess products that will have to be dealt with. Moving towards this model is one way the fashion industry can help mitigate clothing waste. 

9. Textile production is an extremely thirsty business. 

It consists of various phases, from fiber cultivation and processing to dyeing, rinsing, and finishing the garments—all of which are very water-intensive processes. For example, producing a single t-shirt and a pair of jeans requires an estimated 20,000 liters of water.

The textile industry is estimated to be the third-largest source of water pollution and land use. Besides water, producing textiles also requires land for growing cotton and other fibers. Still, there’s more to the story: the textile industry generates a significant amount of wastewater due to high amounts of chemicals in the garment dye. If not diluted with more water, the highly polluted discharge is deemed unsafe to be released into the environment, and so the textile industry’s water usage skyrockets even more.

Source: Statista

The textile industry is estimated to be the third-largest source of water pollution and land use in the EU. Besides water, producing textiles also requires land for growing cotton and other fibers. 

Still, there’s more to the story: the textile industry generates a significant amount of wastewater due to high amounts of chemicals in the garment dye. If not diluted with more water, the highly polluted discharge is deemed unsafe to be released into the environment, and so the textile industry’s water usage skyrockets even more.

10. The fashion industry generates 14% of all industrial plastic pollution.

While many associate plastic pollution with disposable water bottles and packaging, the fashion industry is a major contributor to this growing crisis.

A significant portion of this pollution comes from synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, which are present in nearly 89% of the industry’s plastic waste. These materials shed microplastics into the environment during production, washing, and disposal. Over time, these fibers make their way into oceans, harming marine life and infiltrating our food and water systems.

The industry’s reliance on synthetic materials exacerbates environmental issues, but solutions exist. Innovations in textile recycling, biodegradable fabric alternatives, and conscious consumer choices can help reduce plastic waste. Opting for natural fibers, supporting brands committed to sustainability, and washing synthetic garments with filters that trap microplastics are small steps toward a cleaner future.

Source: Unsplash

The future of fashion

Fashion is a form of self-expression. For some, personal style is a creative outlet, for others, a new outfit gives them a boost of confidence.

But the fashion industry faces a growing environmental crisis, with fast fashion waste statistics revealing the tons of discarded clothing contributing to textile industry waste each year. The apparel industry’s global emissions also continue to rise, driven by mass production and unsustainable supply chains. 

While some sustainable fashion brands are stepping up by adopting sustainable production methods that reduce waste, lower carbon footprints, and promote ethical sourcing, the industry at large remains problematic. 

So, what’s next? The ecological forecast seems rather bleak unless more sustainable practices become the norm. It’s essential that the industry focuses on ways to counteract these grim textile waste statistics. And both consumers and producers have to do better in our daily lives to help contribute. Even a simple cotton shirt can have a significant impact depending on how it’s made—choosing organic fabrics, dyes with less impact, and responsible manufacturing can help minimize the industry’s footprint.

There are other ways to reduce the negative effects of the apparel industry on the environment. How? Check out these articles on starting a clothing brand sustainably:

• How to Start a Sustainable Fashion Brand
• How to Strengthen Your Brand’s Sustainability Message in 3 Steps

Despite everything, enthusiasm for fashion doesn’t have to disappear. For example, a better model for the fashion industry is taking shape and is defined by these key principles: reducing consumption, keeping clothes in use, utilizing renewable and safe materials, and turning used clothing into new clothing.

On a personal level, give a go to clothing swaps, garment care and repair, use of sustainable fabrics, and upcycling projects, to move towards a greener future for us all.