The fashion industry illustrates how everyday consumption choices can affect the enjoyment of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. From resource extraction and water use to pollution, textile waste and greenhouse gas emissions, the environmental impacts of clothing production extend far beyond our wardrobes. WE share responsibility with business practices and (informed) consumer choices to reduce environmental harm and create a more responsible fashion industry.

Environmental Cost of Fashion WE All Pay

  • Textiles make up roughly 10% of all plastic waste globally and waste from synthetic fibres is projected to more than double by 2060.
  • Between 2010 and 2022, the reported export weight of used clothing by OECD Member countries has increased by 59%. 
  • ​Under current policies, plastic waste generated from synthetic textiles is projected to more than double by 2060.
  • EPR schemes can enable re-use and recycling by supporting separate waste collection, while transferring the costs from governments to producers. 
Source: Extended producer responsibility in the garments sector​, OECD Working Paper
THE DARK SIDE of FASHION INDUSTRY
Fashion production makes up 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams. What’s more, 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year (UNECE, 2018), and washing some types of clothes sends significant amount of microplastics into the ocean.
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Fast fashion has a HUGE environmental and social cost. But it is an almost a tabu subject. We know that the impacts of the fashion industry in terms of pollution, water use, carbon emissions, human rights, and gender inequality are increasing, but close our eyes. Why? Because we love fashion and .. the fashion industry values more than 2.5 trillion $USD and employing over 75 million people worldwide, with a spectacular growth over the past decades, as clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014. While people bought 60% more garments in 2014 than in 2000, they only kept the clothes for half as long (McKinsey & Company, 2016).
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Fast facts: 
  • The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second (UNEP, 2018)
  • Approximately 60% of all materials used by the fashion industry are made from plastic (UNEP, 2019)
  • 500,000 tons of microfibers are released into the ocean each year from washing clothes — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017)
  • The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of humanity’s carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined (UNEP, 2018). If the fashion sector continues on its current trajectory, that share of the carbon budget could jump to 26% by 2050 (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017)
  • Some 93 billion cubic metres of water – enough to meet the needs of five million people – is used by the fashion industry annually, contributing significantly to water scarcity in some regions (UNCTAD, 2020)
  • Around 20% of industrial wastewater pollution worldwide originates from the fashion industry (WRI, 2017)
More facts and sources on Business Insider

Human Cost of Fashion:  

Textile workers, primarly women in developing countries, are often paid derisory wages and forced to work long hours in appalling conditions (UNEP, 2018; WRI, 2019). In many places, these conditions create infringements on human rights (Human Rights Watch). Use of chemicals in clothes production also raise serious health concerns, both for the workers in the industry and consumers. Additional impacts on health also arise from the pollution described previously.
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The environmental and social cost of the fashion industry should make us rethink fast fashion, and stresses the need for more sustainable business models and practices. Resources hereunder provide additional information on the environmental impacts of fashion, and potential pathways for change.

​What Can Change?
A more sustainable fashion industry requires action at every level.

  • ​Individuals can choose quality over quantity, extend the life of clothing, repair and reuse garments, support ethical brands, and recycle textiles responsibly.
  • Businesses can improve supply chain transparency, reduce pollution, adopt circular economy practices, and respect environmental and labour standards.
  • Governments can strengthen environmental legislation, promote sustainable production and consumption, and ensure that businesses are held accountable for their environmental and human rights impacts.
Protecting the right to a healthy environment requires shared responsibility. Every informed choice contributes to reducing environmental harm and supporting a fashion industry that respects both people and the planet.
Learn more:
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