Textile Waste increased by 50% in U.S. due to Fast Fashion, Report

The EPA data reveals that textile waste in the U.S. surged by over 50 percent from 2000 to 2018, with 17 million tons generated in 2018 alone. Around 11.3 million tons of this waste ended up in landfills, intensifying environmental pollution and occupying valuable landfill space.

It highlights the alarming environmental damage caused by discarded textiles such as apparel, carpets, footwear, and towels.

Environmental Impact of Textile Waste Textile waste is responsible for significant environmental harm; decomposing these materials in landfills releases harmful greenhouse gases like methane and leach contaminants into the soil and groundwater.

The decomposition of textiles in landfills results in harmful chemicals leaching into the environment. The considerable influence of “fast fashion”—rapid production cycles of trendy, low-cost apparel—has exacerbated this problem over the past two decades…