Fashion: an industry with an astronomical environmental cost
The fashion industry is one of the most polluting on the planet. It is responsible for 8 to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions — more than maritime and air transport combined, according to UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). And yet, it is one of the sectors whose impact is least discussed in conversations about climate change.
"Fast fashion" refers to the economic model born in the 1990s and popularised by brands like Zara, H&M, Primark, and Shein, which involves producing clothing in very large quantities, at very low prices, with collections renewed at a frantic pace. Where collections were once seasonal (2 per year), some ultra-fast fashion brands now offer up to 52 "micro-collections" per year.
The true carbon cost of a garment
From field to shop: hidden emissions
To understand the carbon footprint of a garment, you need to trace the entire value chain — what is called a life cycle assessment (LCA):
- Raw material production: conventional cotton requires enormous amounts of pesticides and water (see water section below). Polyester is derived from petroleum. Cashmere, wool, and leather have impacts linked to livestock farming.
- Spinning and weaving: energy-intensive processes, mainly carried out in countries that rely on coal-fired power plants (China, Bangladesh, Pakistan).
- Dyeing and finishing: highly polluting in terms of water and chemicals, often carried out in countries with weak environmental regulations.
- Transport: thousands of kilometres between different production stages, mainly by ship.
- Distribution: air-conditioned or heated shops, home deliveries for e-commerce.
- End of life: 73% of clothing ends up in landfill or incinerated.
Emissions by garment type
Here are the average emissions estimated by ADEME for some common garments:
- Cotton t-shirt: 5 to 7 kg of CO2e
- Denim jeans: 25 to 30 kg of CO2e
- Polyester dress: 15 to 20 kg of CO2e
- Merino wool jumper: 40 to 60 kg of CO2e
- Pair of trainers: 13 to 15 kg of CO2e
- Winter coat: 100 to 200 kg of CO2e depending on materials
To put these figures in perspective: a pair of jeans emits as much CO2 as driving a car for 130 km. A winter coat, as much as a Paris-Lyon flight.
The water catastrophe
Beyond CO2, the fashion industry's impact on water resources is colossal. Producing a single pair of jeans requires 7,500 litres of water — the equivalent of 10 years of drinking water for an adult. A single cotton t-shirt consumes approximately 2,700 litres.
Globally, the textile sector consumes 93 billion cubic metres of water per year, or 4% of global freshwater withdrawals. The Aral Sea, which has virtually disappeared, is a tragic symbol of the impact of intensive cotton farming for the textile industry.
"The fashion industry is the second-largest water-consuming industry in the world, after agriculture." — UN Environment
Chemical pollution
The textile industry is responsible for approximately 20% of industrial water pollution worldwide. The dyeing and finishing processes use thousands of chemicals — some carcinogenic or endocrine disruptors — that end up in the rivers and groundwater of producing countries, often without prior treatment.
In China, several rivers near textile production zones are famous for changing colour according to the season's trend. In India, some towns in the state of Tamil Nadu show alarming levels of chemical water contamination.
Fast fashion and social rights
The fast fashion business model relies on maximising labour cost reductions. Workers — predominantly women — in factories in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Cambodia are often paid less than 2 euros per hour in dangerous conditions. The Rana Plaza disaster in 2013 — the collapse of a building housing garment workshops in Bangladesh, killing 1,134 people — highlighted the human consequences of this model.
Fashion and the sustainability paradox
The average French person buys 30 kg of clothing per year and throws away 23 kg. This consumption has doubled in 20 years. The low prices of fast fashion have created a perception that clothes are disposable products — like a ballpoint pen or a bag of crisps.
Yet solutions exist. Sustainable fashion is not a new concept — it was the norm before the industrial era. It is simply a matter of returning to it.
Concrete alternatives to fast fashion
1. Buy less and buy better
The most effective rule is to reduce the volume of purchases. Before each purchase, ask yourself: do I really need this item? Will I wear it at least 30 times? If you bought half the clothes you currently buy, your textile carbon footprint would be halved — it is as simple as that.
2. Buy second-hand
The second-hand market is experiencing spectacular growth. In France, platforms like Vinted (60 million users in Europe), Vestiaire Collective, Le Bon Coin, and consignment shops provide access to quality clothing at reduced prices with an incomparably lower carbon footprint. A second-hand garment avoids the manufacture of a new one, saving 80 to 90% of associated emissions.
3. Rent rather than buy
For special occasions, evening wear, or rarely used sportswear, renting is a smart alternative. Services like Altered, Dress in the City, and Rent the Runway offer subscriptions or one-off rentals.
4. Choose responsible brands
If you buy new, favour brands that commit to concrete standards:
- Fairtrade: guarantees fair working conditions and minimum prices for cotton producers
- GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard): certifies organic cotton and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes
- Bluesign: certifies low environmental impact dyeing and finishing processes
- Oeko-Tex: certifies the absence of harmful substances in textiles
5. Maintain your clothes to make them last
Wash at low temperatures (30°C instead of 60°C), wash less often, use a clothes line instead of a tumble dryer, repair rather than throw away: these habits extend the lifespan of clothing. The textile repair bonus, trialled in France since 2023, covers part of the repair costs at approved cobblers or tailors.
For a complete guide to responsible consumption and learning how to make different choices in every aspect of your life, read our article: Responsible consumption: where to start?
The carbon impact of online shopping
E-commerce has amplified the effects of fast fashion. Express deliveries, free returns, and impulse buying inherently facilitate excessive consumption. Did you know that the return rate in online fashion reaches 30 to 50% depending on the retailer? Yet, a large proportion of these returns end up in landfill because the logistics processing costs more than the product's value.
To understand the overall carbon footprint of your online shopping, whether fashion or other products, check out our article: The carbon footprint of your online purchases: what you don't see.
Conclusion: towards a slower and more sustainable fashion of tomorrow
Fast fashion is one of the most visible symptoms of an economic model based on overproduction and overconsumption. Changing our clothing habits is not just an ecological act — it is also a political and economic one. By buying less but better, by valuing durability and repairability, by supporting the circular fashion economy, we can help transform an entire industry. The most ecological garment is the one you are already wearing.