Here are some key figures on how fashion is affecting the planet, and how consumers can make a difference.

7 to 10

The average number of times a garment is worn before it is discarded, according to the United Kingdom-based Ellen Macarthur Foundation, a charity committed to creating a circular economy.

5

The maximum number of new items people should buy every year to reach the 1.5°C global-warming limit set out by the United Nations, according to the Hot or Cool Institute think tank.

Around 30%

The percentage of donated clothes that ends up in landfills or incinerators abroad, according to Hot or Cool. They can also end up undercutting local vendors if they flood the market.

1 second

The equivalent of a lorry load of clothes is incinerated or buried in a landfill every second, the Ellen Macarthur Foundation claims.

100 billion

The number of new clothing items produced each year, according to the Clean Clothes Campaign.

1%

Less than 1% of the material used to produce clothing is actually recycled into new clothing, says the United Nations Environment Programme.

Many fast fashion firms claim they can recycle old garments into new, but the reality is that the fabric quality is mostly not fit to make garments that can be sold.

30°C

The recommended temperature at which clothes should be washed in order to increase their lifespan.

20 / 20 / 20

On average, the fashion consumption of the richest 20% of the world’s population causes 20 times higher emissions than that of the poorest 20%, says Hot or Cool.

2023

This year, France will pass a decree requiring every item of clothing sold in the country to carry a label detailing its precise climate impact. The European Union is expected to follow suit.

8 times

The secondhand clothing market is growing eight times faster than the overall apparel market, according to online consignment shop thredUP.

Double

In the last 15 years, clothing production has roughly doubled, the Ellen Macarthur Foundation estimates, but over the same period consumers used those clothes almost 40% less.

40%

The percentage of global consumers that belong to Generation Z – those born between 1997 and 2012 – according to McKinsey & Company.

Gen Z is both a part of the problem and solution when it comes to fast fashion: they make up a huge portion of consumers, but are also calling for more sustainable fashion.