The textile industry generates between 2% and 8% of global pollutant emissions and consumes 215 billion litres of water per year.
Valencia, 24/02/2025
An innovative experiment conducted by the newspaper El País has revealed the surprising journey of the clothes we deposit in second-hand bins. Over 11 months, 15 items of clothing were tracked with geolocation devices, discovering that many of them end up in countries in the Global South, generating environmental and social problems.
Key findings:
– Half of the tracked garments went abroad, mainly to Africa and Asia.
– Some garments travelled more than 65,000 km, leaving a huge carbon footprint.
– Countries such as Ghana have become dumping grounds for used clothing, causing environmental disasters.
– Forty percent of textile exports to Africa end up in landfills.
– 89% of these garments contain synthetic fibres that become polluting microplastics.
Environmental impact:
– The textile industry generates between 2% and 8% of global pollutant emissions.
– It consumes 215 billion litres of water per year.
– It produces 9% of the microplastics that pollute the oceans.
The El País report reveals the urgent need to rethink our textile consumption model and the management of clothing waste. At Textil4all, as a European ERASMUS+ project committed to sustainability in the textile industry, we recognise the importance of addressing these challenges. Our approach is aligned with the need to encourage more efficient recycling and reuse practices. We actively work to train in textile recycling as a pathway to employability, as a solution that reduces the environmental impact of textile production and contributes to a circular economy in the sector.
Source and read more: El País ¿A dónde va el pantalón que tiramos a un contenedor de ropa usada? Once meses de investigación y miles de kilómetros recorridos | Planeta Futuro | EL PAÍS