Clothing made from fossil fuels including polyester, nylon and PVC are a big contributor to climate ...
[+] change (Photo by Christian Vierig/Getty Images) A damning new report by Textile Exchange has revealed that production of fossil fuel-based fabrics, such as polyester, is on the rise despite sustainability efforts in the industry. The Materials Market Report , which reports annually on the global assortment of fiber production, found that virgin, fossil-based synthetic fibers increased from 67 million tons in 2022 to 75 million tons in 2023. Polyester remains the most common accounting for 57% of all fiber production.
The amount of recycled polyester produced also increased, but its market share decreased because of overall fiber production increasing 7% year-on-year from 116 million tons in 2022 to 124 million tons. Less than 1% of the global fiber market came from pre- and post-consumer recycled textiles. Sustainability experts have been calling for an urgent need to decrease clothing volumes to meet carbon targets for several years, but the latest statistics suggest this is falling on deaf ears.
The report comes as Woolmark, which promotes the wool industry, launch a campaign video urging people to choose wool over synthetic materials. The video riffs on zombie apocalypse films showing people chased by clothes with the message that “every synthetic garment ever made still exists in some form, haunting our planet.” Google Play Store Warning—Do Not Install These A.
