Quick answer: The world produces about 92 million tonnes of textile waste a year, the equivalent of one garbage truck of clothing landfilled or burned every second, according to UNEP. In the US, the EPA counted 17 million tons of textile waste in 2018. Only 14.7% was recycled and 11.3 million tons went to landfill. The average EU resident bought 19 kg of textiles in 2022 and threw out 16 kg.
Key highlights
- Fashion and textiles cause an estimated 2 to 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 9% of the microplastics reaching the ocean each year (UNEP, February 2025).
- US textile waste grew from 1.76 million tons in 1960 to 17.03 million tons in 2018, nearly ten times higher (US EPA).
- The recycling rate for US clothing and footwear specifically was 13% in 2018 (same source).
- US textile waste per person rose 55% between 2000 and 2018, against 20% for the overall waste stream, according to a congressional letter to the GAO citing EPA data.
- 85% of EU household textile waste was not collected separately in 2022 and ended up in mixed waste (European Environment Agency).
- Doubling how long clothes are worn could cut fashion's greenhouse gas emissions by 44%, experts told the UN in March 2025.
US textile waste: 58 years of data
US textile waste, 1960 to 2018 (thousand tons)
The curve is the story. Flat for twenty years, then it bends upward around 1990 and never comes back down. Landfill tracks generation almost line for line. Recycling barely lifts off the floor.
Per person it's starker. Using US Census population, we calculate Americans generated about 20 lb of textile waste per person in 1960 and about 104 lb in 2018. More than five times as much, per head.
Our method: 1,760,000 tons x 2,000 lb / 179.3 million people (1960) = 19.6 lb. 17,030,000 tons x 2,000 lb / 327.2 million people (2018) = 104 lb.
Where US textile waste went in 2018
17.03 million tons of US textile waste, 2018
Europe: consumption keeps climbing
What the average EU resident bought in 2022 (kg)
| EU indicator (2022) | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Textile waste generated | 6.94 million tonnes, 16 kg per person | EEA |
| Household textile waste not collected separately | 85% | EEA |
| Share of textile waste landfilled | 12%, down from 21% in 2010 | EEA |
| CO2 from textile purchases per person | about 355 kg | European Parliament |
| Raw materials used per person | 523 kg | European Parliament |
| Textiles destroyed without ever being used | 4% to 9% of products on the market | European Parliament |
Since 1 January 2025, EU member states must collect textiles separately from other household waste. Expect the 85% figure to fall when the next EEA numbers land.
What we take from this
Two things in this data are within a brand's control: how much it overproduces, and how long its clothes last. The 4 to 9% of EU textiles destroyed unused is pure overproduction. We make every Vee Threads piece to order in Bulandshahr, so there's no deadstock pile to burn at season's end. And we stitch on 220 GSM cotton tees and 350 GSM sweatshirts because a heavier fabric holds embroidery for years, not months.
Methodology and sources
The EPA's 2018 data is the latest US national textile waste estimate the agency has published. Global figures are UNEP's, citing the Global Fashion Agenda. Calculations marked as ours are Vee Threads arithmetic on official data.
- US EPA: Textiles, Material-Specific Data
- UNEP: Sustainable fashion to take centre stage on Zero Waste Day (2025)
- UN News: Fast fashion fuelling global waste crisis (March 2025)
- European Parliament: Impact of textile production and waste
- EU Textiles Ecosystem Platform: EEA consumption data
- EEA briefing coverage: Circularity of the EU textiles value chain
- Letter to the GAO on fast fashion (June 2023)
Journalists, bloggers and researchers: use any chart or number on this page. Please credit Vee Threads and link to this page. Want the raw table or a custom cut of the data? Contact Vikash and Mansi.
Suggested citation
Vee Threads (2026). Textile Waste Statistics 2026. https://veethreads.com/blogs/news/textile-waste-statistics
Link to copy
<a href="https://veethreads.com/blogs/news/textile-waste-statistics">Textile waste statistics (Vee Threads)</a>
More in our fashion data series: Indian textile and apparel industry statistics, handloom and handicraft artisan statistics, global apparel export statistics and cotton production statistics.
FAQ
How much textile waste is produced each year?
About 92 million tonnes globally, according to UNEP citing the Global Fashion Agenda. That's roughly one garbage truck of textiles landfilled or burned every second.
How much clothing ends up in landfill in the US?
11.3 million tons of textiles went to US landfills in 2018, about 66% of the 17 million tons generated, according to the EPA.
What percentage of textiles are recycled?
In the US, 14.7% of all textiles were recycled in 2018, and 13% of clothing and footwear (EPA).
How many kilograms of textiles does the average European buy?
By weight, the average EU resident bought 19 kg of clothing, footwear and household textiles in 2022, up from 17 kg in 2019 (EEA).
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