Lesson 1 — The State of the Textile Industry
A clear, evidence-based introduction to the scale, impact, and challenges of today’s textile industry — and why sustainability is no longer optional.
Watch the Lesson
In this lesson, you’ll learn:
How the global textile industry became so large and fast-moving
The environmental, social, and economic impacts of fast fashion
Key sustainability challenges like overproduction, waste, and microplastics
A real case study of Bangladesh’s textile sector
Why understanding the industry’s current state is the foundation of sustainability
Introduction
Every second, one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned.
To build sustainable solutions, we must first understand the scale of the problem — and how the textile industry really operates today.
1. Global Textile Production and Consumption
The industry produces over 100 million tonnes of fiber each year, and clothing production has doubled over the past 15 years.
Consumers buy 60% more clothing than 20 years ago — but keep each item for half as long.
What drives this growth?
Fast fashion models: New collections every 2–3 weeks
Global supply chains: Design in London → Production in Bangladesh → Sales in New York
Social media pressure: More outfits, more trends, more consumption
Example:
Shein uploads 6,000+ new styles every day — more than most brands release in a year.
2. The Impact of Fast Fashion
Environmental Impact
Fashion contributes ~10% of global greenhouse gas emissions
A single cotton T-shirt requires 2,700 liters of water
20% of global wastewater comes from textile dyeing
Real example:
In some regions of China, river colors change with seasonal dye trends — affecting drinking water and agriculture.
Social Impact
Workers face low wages, unsafe conditions, and excessive overtime
2013 Rana Plaza collapse killed 1,100+ workers
Economic Impact
Intense price pressure causes suppliers to cut corners
Overproduction leads to discounting, deadstock, and waste
3. Major Sustainability Challenges
The industry faces deep structural issues:
Overproduction: Brands create more clothing than they can sell
Waste: 87% of textiles end up in landfills or incinerators
Resource use: 79 billion cubic meters of water annually
Microfiber pollution: 35% of microplastics in oceans come from synthetic fibers
Transparency gaps: Most brands cannot trace beyond Tier 1 suppliers
4. Mini Case Study — Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the world’s largest garment exporters.
Environmental challenges:
Wastewater treatment
Chemical management
Energy use
Social challenges:
Worker safety and rights
Low wages
High production pressure
Insight:
Economic growth alone doesn’t equal sustainability.
Both require active, intentional management.
5. Key Takeaways
The textile industry is huge, fast, and resource-intensive
Fast fashion accelerates environmental and social harm
Overproduction and waste are systemic, not marginal
Sustainability is a strategic necessity — not a marketing trend
6. Practical Exercise
Think about your country or the market you work in:
What role does it play in the global textile system (producer, consumer, both)?
Identify one local sustainability challenge (e.g., textile waste, water scarcity).
Identify one opportunity for improvement (e.g., sorting systems, local fiber innovation).
You’ll use this exercise later in the course.
Closing
The state of the textile industry shows us both the scale of the challenge and the room for innovation.
In the next lesson, we’ll explore what sustainability actually means in textiles, and why changing business models is just as important as changing materials.