Blog-Sustainability
April 01, 2026
Textile Waste and Sustainable Fashion
Did you know that over 115 million tons of textile waste is generated every year (Lee et. al, 2025)? Whether it is due to changing fashion trends, overconsumption, or low-quality fabrics, it seems that people hold on to clothing for short periods of time before disposal. Clothes that are disposed of in landfills or incinerators contribute to negative environmental impacts such as polluted air and water (Lee et. al, 2025). What can we do to reduce the amount of clothing that makes its way into landfills?
Buying secondhand clothing would seem to be a good option, but if people only add secondhand clothing purchases to their existing spending, it will not reduce fabric waste. It has been argued that that a drive to purchase second-hand clothing and/or participate in resale programs might actually drive people to purchase and consume more (Mizrachi, 2025). It makes sense- if you feel that buying secondhand clothing is more sustainable, you may not limit your purchasing, and you may feel more comfortable with purchasing non-secondhand clothing because you have already engaged in eco-friendly behaviors.
Maybe part of the challenge with reducing fast fashion is that the impact of textile disposal is not visible in our communities. Unwanted and discard clothing may be shipped to other countries and end up in landfills there (Lee et. al, 2025). Unlike natural fabrics, fabrics made with synthetic fibers such as polyester or acrylic, take much longer to degrade, as many as 100 years are needed for them to do so (Lee et. al, 2025). Synthetic dyes in discarded textiles can also be an environmental concern when the components make it into water and soil.
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Heavy metals such as lead, copper, chromium, arsenic, mercury, and more can be found in the dyes and other components of discarded clothing (Baloyi, et. al, 2024).
The use of synthetic fabrics in the United States began to increase in the 1940s and 1950s, used not only for items like clothing but for use on furniture (Tsoumas, 2024). Many of these synthetic fabrics are actually derived from petro-chemicals, which impacts carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere (Baloyi et. al, 2024). However, even natural fibers like cotton require a lot of water and pesticides, which has environmental impact (Baloyi et. al, 2024).
A few ways that we can reduce clothing waste would be to purchase second-hand clothing while reducing the purchase of new clothing. Sometimes clothing may be in overall good condition but have a broken zipper or a tear. Learning how to sew a button or a patch could keep that garment out of a landfill. If you don’t know how to sew (or have no inclination to do so), perhaps this is an opportunity to connect with your neighbors and your community. I had thrifted a very cool sailing jacket a couple of years ago, but the buttons were all corroded from salt water and the zipper didn’t work. It sat in my closet for a long time, until a neighbor offered to help. It is now mended and ready for several years of use!
Above infographic created on Canva (https://canva.com)
References
Baloyi, R. B., Gbadeyan, O. J., Sithole, B., & Chunilall, V. (2024). Recent advances in recycling technologies for waste textile fabrics: a review. Textile Research Journal, 94(3–4), 508–
529. https://doi.org/10.1177/00405175231210239
Lee, J., Park, C. H., Yun, C., & Lee, S. (2025). Textile waste management and its sustainability: a review. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 27(4), 2183–2197.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-025-02272-x
Mizrachi, M. P., & Sharon, O. (2025). Secondhand fashion consumers exhibit fast fashion behaviors despite sustainability narratives. Scientific Reports, 15(1), Article 34968.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-19089-1
Tsoumas, J. (2024). Designing for the Land of Affluence: The Postwar American Dream through Synthetic Fabrics. International Journal of Arts Architecture & Design, 2(1), 19–30.