35 Statistics on Sustainable Fashion You Need to Know in 2026

The fashion industry is at the centre of the sustainability conversation — responsible for high emissions, waste, and water use, but also driving major innovation in materials, recycling, and circular business models.

From cactus leather and mushroom-based fabrics to secondhand resale growth and water-saving technologies, these 35 statistics capture the progress, challenges, and transformation shaping the future of sustainable fashion in 2026.

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Water & Energy Efficiency in Production

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1. Leather made from cacti saves 164,650% of water compared to animal leather and 190% in comparison to polyurethane-based vegan leather. (World Economic Forum, 2022)
2. Levi Strauss Water<Less Techniques reduces water usage by up to 96% for certain denim styles, saving millions of liters annually. So far, they’ve saved more than 3 billion liters and recycled more than 1.5 billion liters of water through this innovation. (Levi Strauss & Co, 2019)
3. Polyester fiber production is highly energy-intensive (125 MJ per kg), but recycling polyester significantly reduces energy use and environmental impact. (The Mills Fabrica, 2023)
4. Colorifix’s biological dyeing process reduces environmental impacts compared to conventional methods by achieving a 31% reduction in carbon intensity and a 37% decrease in eutrophication per kilogram of dyed fabric.  (The Mills Fabrica, 2023)
5. According to material science company Recover, 1 kg of Recover™ recycled cotton saves 14,740 litres of water, 56kWh of Energy, 23kg of CO2 emissions and 10.5 m2 of land use. (Circle Economy, 2022)
6. According to a study by the Stockholm Environment Institute, 1kg of hemp material needs between 300-500 litres of water to grow. Whereas 1kg of cotton needs about 9,788-9,958 litres. (Made In Hemp, 2025)

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Circular Fashion & Secondhand Market

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7. A reused cotton t-shirt can save 8-16 times more carbon than recycling it. (A.M. Custom Clothing, 2024)
8. As a result of secondhand sales on eBay UK, 17,771 tonnes of fashion items, which is the equivalent weight of 1,404 double-decker buses, was saved from landfill in 2021. (eBay Inc, 2021)
9. Since its founding, United Repair Centre has repaired 30,000 garments, saving 12 tonnes of textiles from landfill and reducing 70.680kg of CO2. (United Repair Centre, 2025)
10. If everyone doubled on average the number of times that they wore a garment, this could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from clothing by 44 per cent, according to a report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017)
11. The resale fashion market is expected to double in size by 2027. (Retail TouchPoints, 2023)
12. Fast fashion items are often worn less than five times, kept for roughly 35 days, and produce over 400% more carbon emissions per item per year than garments worn 50 times and kept for a full year. (GENECO, 2022)

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Sustainable Business Practices & Investments

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13. Since 2018, The Mills Fabrica has supported over 35 techstyle and agrifood tech startups, investing up to USD 3 million per startup to drive sustainability in the fashion industry. (Business Daily Media, 2023)
14. The sustainable fashion industry is poised to grow at a CAGR of 9.4% from 2023 to 2030. (Gabe Clothing, 2023)
15. According to the Ethical Fashion Report 2021, the percentage of companies actively working to trace their raw material suppliers increased from 48% in 2019 to 69% in 2021. (Baptist World Aid, 2021)
16. If 60% of clothing is reused and fibre-to-fibre recycling is maximised, the UK textile industry could reduce its use of raw materials by 63%. (Green Alliance, 2024)

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Innovations in Sustainable Materials & Recycling

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17. By 2030, H&M aims to make 100% of their packaging from recycled or sustainably sourced materials, with a preference for post-consumer recycled materials. Their progress is currently at 97% as of 2024. (H&M Group, 2024)
18. In April 2023, Circ and Zara debuted the world’s first-ever collection made from polyester-cotton waste, which can be recycled again. The collection features lyocell garments made with 50% recycled textile waste and polyester garments made with 43% recycled polycotton textile waste. (The Mills Fabrica, 2024)
19. As of the end of 2023, Circ has recycled over 114,000kg of polycotton textile waste, which has contributed to an estimated reduction of 194,500kg of carbon emission equivalent. (The Mills Fabrica, 2024)
20.  Puma introduced a pilot program in 2022 to recycle polyester waste into new clothing, featuring garments made from 95% post-consumer recycled polyester. By 2030, PUMA aims to use 30% fibre-to-fibre recycled polyester fabric for its apparel products. (PUMA, 2024)
21. Adidas, in partnership with Parley for the Oceans, produced a shoe made with a yarn which contains at least 50% Parley Ocean Plastic and the other 50% of the yarn is recycled polyester. (Adidas, 2025)
22. Patagonia's Reclaimed Wool program uses recycled wool from old garments, reducing the need for new wool production. In Fall 2023, Patagonia's wool products were made with 89% recycled wool by weight, with the remaining products made from virgin wool. They've helped keep more than 3.5 million pounds of CO₂e from being emitted into the atmosphere, based on the Higg Materials Sustainability Index, version 3.6. (Patagonia Bend, 2023)
23. Pinatex is a leather alternative made from cellulose fibres from pineapple leaves. In making Piñatex, 264 tons of Carbon Dioxide are saved by using instead of burning 825 tons of waste from the pineapple harvest. (ALEAF, 2024)
24. TomTex has developed a 100% biobased and biodegradable leather alternative using chitosan from mushrooms and discarded shrimp shells, aiming to reduce the environmental impact associated with traditional leather production. (Time, 2024)
25. Recycled polyester requires 59% less energy compared to virgin polyester. Manufacturers of recycled polyester aim to reduce CO2 emissions by 32% in comparison to regular polyester. (Weavabel, 2022)
26. Allbirds has introduced the first net-zero carbon shoe. Its upper is made from carbon-negative merino wool from the New Zealand Merino Company, which sequesters carbon through regenerative farming. (Allbirds, 2025)
27. In 2012, Greenpeace identified 11 toxic chemicals used in clothing production. As a result, the NGO launched a Detox Campaign to get 80 fashion companies to commit to eliminate these substances by 2020. (Iberdrola, 2023)
28. The global market value for biodegradable materials is projected to grow threefold by 2030 due to rising demand for sustainable alternatives to traditional plastics. (Solinatra, 2024)

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Environmental Impact

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29. The textile industry is responsible for 5-10% of global emissions. (United Nations Climate Change, 2018)
30. Around 60% of material made into clothing is plastic, and each time such clothes are washed, they shed microfibres, a form of microplastics. (UNEP, 2019)
31. Synthetic fibers release 200,000-500,000 tons of microplastics into oceans annually through washing. Biodegradable materials like hemp, Tencel, and organic cotton do not release microplastics, helping to protect marine ecosystems. (European Environment Agency, 2022)
32. The global shoe industry produces over 20 billion pairs annually,  with the average pair generating 30 pounds of CO2e emissions throughout its lifecycle. (GotSneakers, 2022)

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Consumer Demand & Market Trends

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33. New research suggests that 57% of UK consumers want fashion to be more sustainable. (Ecommerce Age, 2022)
34. ​A 2022 survey by Simon-Kucher & Partners found that 35% of U.S. consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable consumer goods. (Business Wire, 2022)
35. The use of sustainable raw materials in fashion collections rose from 15.8% in 2020 to 45.1% in 2023, reflecting a significant shift towards greener production practices. (Gabe Clothing, 2023)

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Sustainable fashion has evolved from niche to mainstream - blending science, design, and consumer ethics into a transformative global movement. From innovative bio-based materials to circular economy models, the industry is redefining how garments are made, used, and valued.

However, scaling true sustainability will require faster adoption of circular design, transparent sourcing, and consistent regulation across borders. The next decade will determine whether fashion becomes a leader in environmental innovation - or remains one of its biggest challenges.