IAGlobal Textile Waste Crisis
Australia has one of the highest textile consumption rates, with 27 kg of new textiles purchased per person annually, while 23 kg are discarded in landfills. The Swedish Chemicals Agency (KEMI) estimates that textile decomposition in EU landfills releases over 2,000 tons of toxic dyes annually.
Experts estimate that by 2050, over 150 million tons of clothing will either be landfilled or incinerated.
In the UK, about 4% of textiles and fabrics collected for reuse or recycling still end up in landfills, costing the UK economy £82 million (€89 million) annually for landfill management.
More than 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced each year, almost all from plastic compounds that cannot be recycled.
The EU generates 7–7.5 million tons of textile waste annually, averaging 16 kg per person. However, only 4.4 kg per person is separately collected for reuse or recycling, while 11.6 kg per person ends up in mixed household waste. Currently, around 30% of textile waste in the EU is incinerated.
One garbage truckload of clothing is thrown away or burned every second in the world.
Most discarded clothing and textile waste worldwide ends up in landfills or mixed municipal waste. Natural fibers, such as wool, decompose and release greenhouse gases, while synthetic fibers take over 200 years to degrade, releasing toxic chemicals into the environment.
A crucial challenge is the low recycling rate of textile waste. Only 1% of discarded clothing is recycled into new textile products, highlighting the urgent need for improved recycling solutions. Globally, the issue of textile waste is gaining increasing attention. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of textile waste worldwide increased by 811% between 1960 and 2015. In 2015 alone, textile waste amounted to 16 million tons, with approximately 66% ending up in landfills.
The textile industry is one of the most resource-intensive and polluting industries in the world.
Every year, over 100 billion pieces of clothing are produced globally, placing a significant burden on the environment. According to the European Environment Agency, in 2020, textile consumption in the EU resulted in approximately 270 kg of CO₂ emissions per person. Additionally, the textile sector is responsible for 20% of global clean water pollution due to dyeing and finishing processes.
