Did you know that in 2024, 80 billion new articles of clothes were manufactured globally? On top of this, approximately 85% of all textiles go into dumps or landfill each year.
Some other shocking statistics include:
And while the industry may provide many jobs for people in third world countries, up to 1/3 of the workforce has been found to be under 18. These jobs and positions also don't pay well, sometimes it may barely be minimum wage.
You can watch this video on Fast Fashion byGreenMatchUkon YouTube to find out more:
In 2020, Greenpeace stated that nearly $100 billion worth of materials that are in perfectly good condition, and 300,000 tones of clothing and fabric go to waste every year. These items are destroyed through means that cause extreme environmental damage, like being burnt or getting thrown into landfill. Less than 1% of material used to produce clothing gets recycled into new articles, meaning that far too much good material is being disposed instead of getting used.
The fashion industry produces 2 to 8% of global emissions, and textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally. Even the process of washing the clothes producded in this way can release around 500,000 tonnes of microfibres into the ocean every year, which is the equivalent to around 50 billion plastic bottles.
The textile industry has affected communities by effectively killing off local companies and industrialising fashion. The industry is also killing off local cultures and traditions around where the manufacturing tends to happen.