The fashion industry is a global powerhouse—shaping trends, driving economies, and expressing identity. But behind the glitz and glamour lies a growing environmental concern. As awareness of climate change intensifies, the fashion industry’s massive carbon footprint has come under the spotlight.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that the fashion industry is responsible for approximately 8 to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions1. In addition to contributing to climate change, the industry also places a heavy burden on water resources—drying up water sources and polluting rivers and streams during textile production and dyeing processes. Alarmingly, around 85 per cent of all textiles2 end up in landfills each year, highlighting the scale of waste generated.

Furthermore, washing synthetic garments releases an estimated 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean annually, equivalent to about 50 billion plastic bottles. This level of environmental impact even exceeds the emissions generated by all international flights and maritime shipping combined. This raises a critical question: Can the fashion industry ever truly become sustainable and environmentally responsible?

On average, the UK spends £59.3 million on clothes3 per year and exports £8.2 billion worth of clothing. The combination of cheap prices and low-quality leads many to feel that clothing is disposable. Therefore, the UK sends 300,000 tonnes of clothes4 to landfill each year, making it the fastest growing waste industry, although it is believed that 95 per cent of garments sent to landfill could be re-worn or upcycled.

Understanding the Carbon Footprint of Fashion
A carbon footprint refers to the total amount of greenhouse gases—primarily carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O)—released into the atmosphere because of human activities. In the context of fashion, this encompasses the entire lifecycle of a garment, from the raw material stage to disposal.

To break it down, the fashion industry’s carbon footprint includes emissions generated from:

  • Cultivating and harvesting raw materials like cotton, wool, and synthetic fibres
  • Processing textiles and dyeing fabrics, often involving high heat and chemical use
  • Manufacturing garments through sewing, cutting, and finishing
  • Packaging and global transportation of clothing
  • Retail operations including energy use in stores and warehouses
  • Consumer usage, such as frequent washing, drying, and ironing
  • Disposal, whether through landfilling, incineration, or recycling

Each of these steps adds to the carbon load on the environment, making the fashion industry one of the most resource- and energy-intensive sectors globally.

Hidden Carbon Costs: Where Fashion is Made Matters
A significant portion of global apparel is produced in developing countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, and Indonesia. While these nations play a vital role in the global textile supply chain, they often lack strict environmental regulations regarding pollution, emissions, and waste management.

Factories in these regions tend to rely heavily on fossil fuel-based energy sources, particularly coal, due to low cost and availability. As a result, even energy usage that could be sustainable in other contexts (like heating water or running machines) becomes a major contributor to climate change when powered by non-renewables.

Additionally, weak enforcement of pollution controls often results in untreated dye wastewater being dumped into rivers and unchecked air emissions being released, further worsening the environmental impact.

Key Contributors to Fashion’s Carbon Footprint

1. Raw Material Production
Raw material sourcing significantly determines a garment’s carbon footprint. Different materials have different environmental costs.

  • Cotton, a natural fibre, is often perceived as eco-friendly. However, conventional cotton farming uses vast amounts of water (around 20,000 litres for 1 kg of cotton) and relies heavily on pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. These chemicals emit nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than CO₂.5
  • Polyester, made from petroleum-based resources, is the most commonly used textile in the world. It emits about 9.52 kg of CO₂ per kg of fabric6, almost three times more than cotton. Additionally, polyester does not biodegrade, contributing to microplastic pollution in oceans.
  • Wool and leather involve methane emissions from livestock, deforestation for grazing land, and intensive water and energy use. Tanning and dyeing leather also produce hazardous waste.

Alternative materials are emerging, but most textiles still come from carbon-intensive sources.

2. Textile Processing and Dyeing
Turning raw fibres into finished fabrics involves numerous steps, including spinning, weaving or knitting, dyeing, and finishing—all of which consume large amounts of electricity, water, and chemicals.

  • Dyeing is especially problematic. It accounts for around 20 per cent of global water pollution.7 Traditional dyeing requires heated water and toxic dyes, which are often discharged untreated into rivers, harming aquatic ecosystems and nearby communities.
  • Finishing treatments such as wrinkle resistance, water repellency, or anti-stain coatings rely on perfluorinated compounds and other chemical treatments, many of which are harmful and long-lasting in the environment.

Textile mills, particularly in regions with lax environmental regulations, often operate using coal-powered electricity, adding further emissions to the supply chain.

3. Garment Manufacturing
After fabrics are produced, they are cut, sewn, and assembled into garments, primarily in developing countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India.

  • Energy sources used in these regions often come from fossil fuels. Older, inefficient equipment and poor factory infrastructure increase energy usage.
  • Labour practices can also affect emissions. Poor planning and overproduction lead to excessive inventory and waste. The fast fashion model encourages constant new collections, resulting in billions of garments produced annually, many of which are never sold or worn.
  • Packaging materials, like plastic polybags and tags, add to carbon emissions and waste during this stage.

4. Transportation and Global Supply Chains
Fashion is a global industry—one item may use US-grown cotton, spun in India, woven and dyed in China, stitched in Bangladesh, and sold in Europe or North America.

  • Global transportation, including shipping, trucking, and air freight, plays a huge role in emissions. While ships are relatively efficient, their heavy fuel oil still emits CO₂ and sulphur dioxide. Air freight, used to deliver fast fashion on time, has a much higher carbon footprint.
  • The ‘just-in-time’ model, where brands produce based on quick sales trends, results in frequent, small-scale shipments, increasing the total number of deliveries and emissions.

5. Consumer Use
Once purchased, clothing continues to contribute to emissions during its use phase:

  • Washing and drying account for about 25 per cent of a garment’s carbon footprint8 over its lifetime. Washing machines and dryers consume significant electricity and water, especially if powered by fossil fuels.
  • Ironing, though less commonly considered, also adds to the total footprint, particularly in regions with energy-intensive electrical grids.
  • Microfiber pollution from synthetic clothes (like polyester and nylon) releases tiny plastic particles into waterways every time garments are washedBringing a change how people care for clothes—using cold water, line drying, and washing less frequently—can make a substantial difference.

6. End-of-Life Disposal
Globally, over 92 million tonnes of textiles are discarded annually.9 Most of this ends up in landfills or incinerators:

  • Landfilled textiles made of synthetic fibres do not biodegrade and may release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, during decomposition.
  • Incineration, often used for unsold or old garments, releases CO₂ and toxic pollutants into the atmosphere.
  • Recycling rates are low. Less than one per cent of clothing10 is recycled into new garments. This is due to the complexity of separating blended fabrics and lack of recycling infrastructure.

Can the Fashion Industry Truly Go Green?
Reducing the carbon footprint of fashion is challenging, but not impossible. Many brands, startups, and governments are actively exploring solutions. Here is how the industry can move towards true sustainability.

1. Sustainable Materials
Adopting eco-friendly alternatives to conventional textiles can reduce emissions significantly:

  • Organic Cotton: Grown without harmful chemicals, using crop rotation and composting to maintain healthy soil. It requires less water and results in fewer emissions.
  • Hemp and Linen: Require minimal water and pesticides. Hemp even absorbs CO₂ as it grows, making it a carbon-negative crop.
  • Innovative fibres: Materials like Tencel (from sustainably harvested wood pulp), Piñatex (from pineapple leaves), and Mylo (made from mushrooms) offer lower-impact alternatives.
  • Recycled fabrics: Recycled polyester, nylon, and cotton reduce the need for virgin resources and limit waste.

However, these materials must be scalable and cost-effective to gain widespread use.

2. Greener Manufacturing Practices
Sustainable production requires a shift in how clothes are made:

  • Energy-efficient machinery reduces power consumption during manufacturing.
  • Renewable energy sources, like solar or wind, can power textile mills and factories.
  • Closed-loop systems recycle water and chemicals used in dyeing, preventing pollution and reducing emissions.
  • Automation and AI help forecast demand, reduce overproduction, and optimise supply chains.

Brands such as Stella McCartney, Patagonia, and Reformation are leading by example—using renewable energy, ethical labour practices, and eco-friendly materials.

3. Circular Fashion Economy
A circular approach keeps clothes in use for as long as possible and recycles them at the end of their life.

  • Take-back schemes let consumers return used clothes to brands for recycling or repurposing.
  • Upcycling transforms waste textiles into new designs, creating unique and sustainable fashion.

The circular economy minimises waste and lowers emissions by decreasing the demand for new production.

4. Localised and On-Demand Production
Shortening the supply chain reduces transportation emissions and waste:

Local manufacturing allows for quicker response to trends and reduces the need for bulk overseas shipping.

On-demand production, where items are made only after purchase, prevents overproduction and unsold stock.

Digital design and 3D prototyping reduce sampling waste and increase design efficiency.

This approach also supports local economies and can lead to more ethical labour practices.

5. Educating and Empowering Consumers
Consumers have the power to drive change. By making thoughtful choices, individuals can reduce fashion’s environmental impact:

  • Buy less, choose well: Investing in high-quality, timeless pieces reduces the need for frequent purchases.
  • Wash consciously: Cold water washing, line drying, and using eco-friendly detergents reduce emissions.

6. Government Policy and Industry Collaboration
Widespread change requires regulatory support and industry-wide cooperation:

  • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws mandate brands to manage the full lifecycle of their products.
  • Carbon taxes and incentives encourage companies to adopt cleaner technologies.
  • Supply chain transparency laws make it easier to track environmental and social practices.
  • Public-private partnerships can fund sustainable innovation and infrastructure.

Global initiatives like the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action11 and UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion12 aim to create a roadmap towards net-zero emissions.

Steps Towards Reducing Fashion’s Carbon Footprint
Despite the dire statistics, the fashion industry holds immense potential to reverse course. Stakeholders can play a crucial role in reshaping the industry’s environmental impact by adopting more sustainable practices, investing in cleaner technologies, and making climate-conscious business decision. A few targeted actions can make a significant difference:

  • Switching to renewable energy sources in textile mills and garment factories—such as solar, wind, or hydropower—can dramatically cut emissions, especially in regions that currently rely on coal-fired electricity. Brands can support this shift by investing in factory upgrades or partnering only with suppliers who commit to renewable energy goals.
  • Reducing the use of synthetic fabrics like polyester, which is derived from fossil fuels, can also lower emissions. Polyester production emits nearly three times more CO₂ than cotton and contributes to microplastic pollution.
  • Adopting sustainable practices across the supply chain—such as regenerative agriculture for natural fibres, closed-loop dyeing systems, and localised production—can lead to more environmentally responsible outcomes.
  • By designing garments for longevity, reuse, and recyclability, brands can reduce the overall volume of clothing that ends up in landfills. This includes choosing durable materials, offering repair services, enabling garment take-back programmes, and incorporating recycled content into new collections.
  • A lack of transparency makes it difficult to track emissions across the fashion supply chain. Brands must work to map their supply chains, identify carbon-intensive stages, and collaborate with suppliers to set emissions-reduction targets. Implementing traceability systems and publishing sustainability data not only builds trust with consumers but also holds the entire chain accountable for emissions.

By adopting these practices, brands and garment manufacturers can become leaders in responsible fashion, helping to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. While the journey towards a truly green fashion industry is complex, meaningful progress begins with bold, deliberate action from those who shape the garments.