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This resource is a collaboration between the Aftermath Learning Lab, Make Fashion Clean (MFC Tie-Dye), and the MFI Foundation in Ghana.
Short link to this resource: textilewastefacts.info
Start with These 9 Facts About Textile Pollution.
Start with These 9 Facts About Textile Pollution.
Fact #1.
People in the United States generate more than 34 billion pounds of textile waste annually (source: EPA, 2018).
Fact #2.
People with high incomes generate nearly twice as much textile waste as those with lower incomes (source: DeVoy et al., 2021).
Fact #3.
More than 65% of textile waste is landfilled, and less than 15% is recycled (source: EPA, 2018).
Fact #4.
Landfills are 2.8 times more likely to be located in areas with more BIPOC residents (source: Norton et al., 2007).
Fact #5.
More than half of recycled textile waste is sent to other countries, often in the Global South (source: Plummer, 2025)
Fact #6.
From there, textile waste makes its way into landfills and open-air dumps in the Global South (Aljazeera, 2021).
Fact #7.
Gas and chemical leachates from decomposing textiles pollute the air, soil, and groundwater (source: Njewa et al., 2025)
Fact #8.
Textile waste clogs drainage leading to flooding and water-borne disease (source: Odonkor et al., 2021).
Fact #9.
Textile waste is often burned due to lack of space, impacting cardiovascular and respiratory health (Anokye et al., 2024).
Learn About the Social and Environmental Impacts of Global Textile Pollution. Watch this Eight-Minute Video.
Learn About the Social and Environmental Impacts of Global Textile Pollution. Watch this Eight-Minute Video.
Watch.
The below video shares a series of highlights from a panel discussion between Matilda Lartey, fashion designer, environmental educator, and founder of the MFI Foundation in Ghana, and Stacey Johnson, a board member for Make Fashion Clean (MFC).
Five Ways You Can Take Action. Choose One.
Five Ways You Can Take Action. Choose One.
1. No More New Clothes
1. No More New Clothes
Eliminate or reduce purchases of new fashion and commit to Remake's 90-day "No More New Clothes" campaign
2. Reuse Clothing
2. Reuse Clothing
Buy used clothing from thrift stores or find brands that make upcycled or recycled fashion via Good on You app.
3. Dispose Responsibly
3. Dispose Responsibly
Swap clothing with friends and family to extend its lifespan, downcycle, or use Trashie, which recycles responsibly.
4. Offset Your Pollution
4. Offset Your Pollution
Help fund the MFC-MFI Textile Waste Upcycling Partnership to offset your contributions to global fashion pollution, or learn more first.
5. Advocate for Change
5. Advocate for Change
Follow the OR Foundation, Slow Factory, the Aftermath Learning Lab, and others advancing structural and policy solutions to global fashion pollution.
Reflect on Your Textile Pollution. Create an Action Plan.
Reflect on Your Textile Pollution. Create an Action Plan.
Choose One of Four Resources to Continue Learning.
Choose One of Four Resources to Continue Learning.
Watch a Documentary About the Problem:
Textile Mountain: The Hidden Burden of Our Fashion Waste
Read a Book About the Problem:
Consumed: The Need For Collective Change
Attend a Conference About Solutions:
Watch the LEAPS 2024 Textile Waste Conference or Learn About Next Year's Conference
Read a Paper About Solutions:
Position Paper from Stop Waste Colonialism!
Share This Resource. Stay Connected.
Share This Resource. Stay Connected.
Link for Sharing:
textilewastefacts.info
Follow Us on Instagram or Learn More at:
Aftermath Learning Lab: @aftermathlearninglab or aftermathlearninglab.com
Make Fashion Clean (MFC): @makefashionclean or makefashionclean.org
MFI Foundation in Ghana: @mfifashionghana or mfifoundationghana.org
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