The global textile and apparel industry is enormous – valued at over $1 trillion and still growing. It’s one of the biggest and most complicated industries on the planet, employing hundreds of millions of people around the world. But while its economic footprint is massive, its environmental impact is just as significant and harder to ignore.
This industry is the second-largest consumer and polluter of water globally. Its production is energy-hungry and heavily dependent on petroleum, which releases harmful particles and acids into the environment. Additionally, the textile and apparel industry accounts for up to 10% of global carbon emissions – more than aviation and maritime shipping combined.
One cotton shirt might not seem like a big deal, but it takes around 700 gallons of water to make. That is enough water to hydrate a person for over two years. Jeans are even more resource intensive, requiring about 2,000 gallons of water and creating the same greenhouse gas emissions as a 100-mile drive.
Then there’s the dyeing process, which generates nearly 20% of the world’s wastewater, often dumped into ditches, streams, and rivers. And when synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, or acrylic are washed, they shed microplastics – about 35% of what ends up in the ocean. These particles can unfortunately stick around for hundreds of years.
Fast fashion, with its emphasis on speed and low cost, has completely changed the way clothes are made and consumed. Brands such as Shein, Zara, UNIQLO, and H&M have fostered a culture of disposability, encouraging consumers to frequently purchase and discard inexpensive garments.
Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothing is either burned or sent to landfill – nearly three tons of textile waste daily. This throwaway mindset undermines efforts toward sustainability, as it prioritizes short-term trends over investing in fewer, higher-quality, and longer-lasting clothing options.
It’s not just the environment that pays the price. About 80% of the industry’s workforce are young women in developing countries. In 2018, evidence of forced and child labor surfaced in countries like Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey, and Vietnam.
The fast pace of apparel consumption and the pressure to meet ever-revolving fashion trends strain production resources, frequently leading to businesses that prioritize profits over the well-being of workers and the environment.
That’s where the slow fashion movement comes in. It’s all about shifting away from overproduction and overconsumption and toward practices that are better for people and the planet.
So, what can we do about it?
A few practical choices go a long way. Shopping secondhand (and donating your own clothes) reduces waste and eases the demand for new, resource-intensive garments.
Renting or swapping clothes is catching on too – it’s a great way to refresh your wardrobe without buying more. You can also look for well-made, timeless pieces that last longer, or choose clothes made from better materials like organic cotton, recycled polyester, or Tencel.
And of course, taking good care of the clothes you already have, including washing them properly, storing them carefully, or even mending and repurposing, helps keep them out of the trash and on your back for years to come.
Suzanne Holloway is a Family and Consumer Sciences Agent with UF/IFAS Extension Leon County, an Equal Opportunity Institution. For gardening questions, email the extension office at AskAMasterGardener@ifas.ufl.edu.
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