Fossil Fashion: The Hidden Reliance of Fast Fashion on Fossil Fuels

The report highlights the critical link between the fast-fashion business model and the extraction of fossil fuels, noting that polyester is found in over half of all textiles. It warns that synthetic fibre production is projected to grow to 73% of total global fibre production by 2030, significantly increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The document dismisses current recycling efforts as a 'red herring' because less than 1% of clothes are recycled into new clothes, and most recycled polyester comes from plastic bottles rather than garments. It concludes that voluntary industry commitments are insufficient and calls for urgent legislative action, such as the EU strategy for textiles, to decouple fashion from fossil fuels and mandate producer responsibility.

• The fast-fashion model is fundamentally enabled by cheap synthetic fibres, primarily polyester, which is used in more than 50% of all produced textiles. Polyester production has increased ninefold over the last 50 years, costing half as much per kilogram as cotton.
• The textile industry's reliance on synthetic fibres drives fossil fuel demand; current production accounts for 1.35% of global oil consumption, a volume exceeding Spain's annual oil use. Synthetic fibres are projected to constitute 73% of total global fibre production by 2030, with polyester making up 85% of that share.
• Polyester production for textiles generated over 700 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2015, a level comparable to the annual emissions of Mexico or 180 coal plants. These emissions are expected to nearly double by 2030, reaching a level twice that of Australia's annual greenhouse gas emissions.
• Current recycling practices are ineffective for reducing fossil fuel reliance, as less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new garments. The share of recycled polyester in production is expected to drop from 14% in 2019 to 7.9% by 2030, with most recycled polyester sourced from PET bottles rather than old clothes.
• Synthetic textiles contribute significantly to microfibre pollution, with 73% of microfibre pollution in some Arctic waters attributed to synthetic fibres. These microplastics have also been detected in human placentas.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2021). Fossil Fashion: The Hidden Reliance of Fast Fashion on Fossil Fuels. https://changingmarkets.org/report/fossil-fashion-the-hidden-reliance-of-fast-fashion-on-fossil-fuels/

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Fossil Fashion: The Hidden Reliance of Fast Fashion on Fossil Fuels. 2021. https://changingmarkets.org/report/fossil-fashion-the-hidden-reliance-of-fast-fashion-on-fossil-fuels/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Fossil Fashion: The Hidden Reliance of Fast Fashion on Fossil Fuels |date=3 February 2021 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/report/fossil-fashion-the-hidden-reliance-of-fast-fashion-on-fossil-fuels/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2021fossil, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Fossil Fashion: The Hidden Reliance of Fast Fashion on Fossil Fuels}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/report/fossil-fashion-the-hidden-reliance-of-fast-fashion-on-fossil-fuels/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }