SADLY, THE PRODUCTION OF CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES HAS BECOME ONE OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST POLLUTERS, LARGELY DRIVEN BY (ULTRA) FAST FASHION. FROM RESOURCE-INTENSIVE RAW MATERIALS TO TOXIC DYES, EVERY STAGE OF PRODUCTION LEAVES A HEAVY FOOTPRINT.
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MAKING MATTERS WORSE, HIGH VOLUME, RAPIDLY PRODUCED, LOW-COST CLOTHING REQUIRES PRODUCERS TO KEEP COSTS DOWN. THIS OFTEN RESULTS IN POOR WORKING CONDITIONS, LOW WAGES AND UNSAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR WORKERS.
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
The fashion industry is responsible for approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually. This is often quoted as being more than the emissions from all international flights and maritime shipping combined (1)
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A large portion of these emissions comes from the production phase (raw material processing, dyeing, and finishing), which often relies on fossil fuel-powered energy sources in manufacturing countries (2)
If current production trends continue, the industry's share of the global carbon budget is predicted to rise significantly, with some reports projecting it could account for up to 26% of global emissions by 2050 if rapid action is not taken (3)
WATER POLLUTION AND
CONSUMPTION
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The clothing industry is the second-largest consumer of water worldwide. For example, it takes approximately 2,700 litres of water to produce a single cotton T-shirt. (6) And it takes up to 10,000 litres of water to produce just one pair of denim jeans (4)
The industry is responsible for around 20% of global industrial wastewater pollution. This is primarily caused by the dyeing and finishing stages, where water laden with toxic chemicals is often dumped untreated into rivers and streams (5)​
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MICROPLASTICS
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The high use of synthetic fabrics like polyester (which is a fossil fuel based plastic) is a major contributor to microplastic in the world’s oceans (5)
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WASHING
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An estimated 500,000 tons of microfibres (the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles) are released into the ocean each year from washing synthetic textiles (5) (6)
​LANDFILL
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Globally, the equivalent of one garbage truck full of textiles is sent to landfill or incinerated every second (7)
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Approximately 87% of all textiles go to landfill each year. This waste is often cheap, plastic-based garments that can take centuries to break down. This results in billions of kilos of non-biodegradable waste accumulating in landfills (7)
RECYCLING
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The percentage of discarded clothing that is recycled globally is very low, especially when turning old clothes into new (8)
The general consensus from major reports (such as those by the UN and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation) is that less than 1% of the material used to produce new clothing is sourced from old clothing that has been recycled (3)
This low number is due to the challenges of separating blended fabrics (eg. cotton and polyester mixes) and removing toxic dyes and finishes.
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Globally, only about 12% of the material used for clothing is recycled in some capacity (5)
This figure includes down-cycling, where textiles are broken down and used for lower-value applications like insulation, rags, carpet padding or mattress stuffing, rather than being remade into new clothes.
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The vast majority (about 87%) of the remaining discarded clothing is either sent to landfill or it’s incinerated (6)
And it’s estimated that the rate at which this happens is the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes every second (6)
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Financial Express - The whole world is against fast fashion
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United Nations Climate Change - UN helps fashion industry shift to low carbon
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Ellen MacArthur Foundation - Fashion and the circular economy
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World Wildlife Fund - Handle with care
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Earth.Org - The environmental impact of fast fashion
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​National Institute of Health - A planet too rich in fibre
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​National Institute of Health - Circular economy and sustainability of the clothing and textile industry
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Ellen MacArthur Foundation - A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion's future​​