The fashion industry is on pace to triple global production by 2050 to more than 160 million tons of clothing, according to a new report released Tuesday by the environmental organization, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
And that would lead to catastrophic levels of emissions and pollution, according to the report.
“Today’s textile industry is built on an outdated linear, take-make-dispose model and is hugely wasteful and polluting,” Ellen MacArthur told the Guardian.
“We need a new textile economy in which clothes are designed differently, worn longer, and recycled and reused much more often.”
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Fashion designer Stella McCartney, who is known for her environmental advocacy and adoption of sustainable practices in her own brand, joined the foundation in calling for a major overhaul of global practices and consumer expectations, according to the Guardian.
"The report presents a roadmap for us to create better businesses and a better environment," Stella McCartney said in a press release.
"It opens up the conversation that will allow us to find a way to work together to better our industry, for the future of fashion and for the future of the planet.”
Take Action: Take 3 Pieces of Rubbish With You When You Leave the Beach
The report is filled with jarring statistics, including the fact that only 1% of clothing is ever recycled.
The rest at a rate of a garbage truck’s worth per second is burned or dumped into a landfill.
That makes the fashion industry one of the most wasteful in the world, the report says, and it’s record of pollution isn’t limited to landfills.
Each year, half a million tons of microfibers make it into the world’s waterways, becoming contaminants that harm marine life, the report notes.
And the fragmented nature of the fashion industry design in one country, production in other countries, and sales in numerous countries leads to enormous amounts of carbon emissions through transportation and energy consumption.
Read More: Does Recycling Your Clothes Actually Make a Difference?
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