From clothing and curtains to uniforms and upholstery, textiles are deeply woven into our lives. However, the increasing volume of these materials is becoming a significant environmental challenge that is often overlooked.
An estimated 121 million metric tons of textile waste were generated globally in 2024, with projections suggesting this figure will rise to 180 million by 2035. The waste includes far more than worn-out garments. Towels, hotel linens, industrial textiles, and medical scrubs make up a strained system. Less than 1% of this waste is recycled into new textiles. The rest are mostly landfilled, incinerated, or improperly disposed of.
While the fashion industry is often spotlighted, it is only part of the picture. Textile waste also includes production offcuts and unsold inventory, and much of it comes from nonfashion uses in hospitality, healthcare, and manufacturing. Despite growing attention, only around 20% of textiles are collected through dedicated channels today; the rest are discarded in general waste. As a result, collection and sorting systems are overwhelmed, and the risk of systemic overflow is rising.
Meanwhile, the second-hand market is weakening. Prices for reused textiles are falling, while collection costs are increasing. European exports to secondary markets in Africa are declining, partly due to rising low cost textile flows from China. At the same time, global textile consumption grows 4% annually, driven by fast fashion, population growth, and rising incomes. Polyester—a low-cost but fossil-related synthetic dominates production and waste streams.
The environmental toll is significant. The textile sector contributes to global CO₂ emissions, water overuse, microplastic pollution and landfill saturation. Many textiles also contain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which contaminate water, soil, and air when incinerated or landfilled.
Addressing this risk to environmental and waste management systems requires both behavioral shifts and structural reform. Europe has taken a leading role: new measures include mandatory separate textile collection by 2025, stricter landfill rules, expanded EPR schemes, and eco-design legislation. But implementation across member states is uneven, and infrastructure remains underfunded and undersized.
To avoid further strain on waste systems and maximize circular opportunities, investment is urgently needed to scale collection, sorting, and fiber-to-fiber recycling. Circularity in textiles is no longer a fringe ambition—it is a climate, health, and resource imperative.