Environmental impact of fashion

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Clothing and the environment
Environmental impact of fashion
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The fashion industry, particularly manufacture and use of apparel and footwear, is a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions and plastic pollution.^[1] The rapid growth of fast fashion has led to around 80 billion items of clothing being consumed annually, with about 85% of clothes consumed in United States being sent to landfill.^[2]

Less than one percent of clothing is recycled to make new clothes.^[3] According to a 2017 report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, if the fashion sector persists on its same trajectory, its share of global carbon emissions could increase to 26% by 2050.^[4][5][6] The production and distribution of the crops, fibers, and garments used in fashion all contribute to differing forms of environmental pollution, including water, air, and soil degradation.^[7] The textile industry is the second greatest polluter of local freshwater in the world,^[8] and is culpable for roughly one-fifth of all industrial water pollution.^[9] Some of the main factors that contribute to this industrial caused pollution are the vast overproduction of fashion items,^{[citation needed]} the use of synthetic fibers, the agriculture pollution of fashion crops,^[10] and the proliferation of microfibers across global water sources.^[3] It emits 2% to 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions.^[11][12][13]

Efforts have been made by some retailers and consumers to promote sustainable fashion practices, such as reducing waste, improving energy and water efficiency, and using primarily eco-friendly materials. Counter movements, such as slow fashion, have also developed as a response to the growth of fast fashion.^{[citation needed]}