The vast majority of clothing and footwear which was disposed of in 2018 in the United States was sent to landfill. Approximately nine million tons of clothing, which is often made of synthetic materials such as polyester, ended up in landfill. In comparison, roughly 1.7 million tons of clothing was recycled in that same year.
Volume of clothing and footwear sent to waste management facilities in the United States in 2018, by destination
(in thousand U.S. tons)
Characteristic
Volume of waste clothing in thousand tons
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Environmental Protection Agency. (January 23, 2021). Volume of clothing and footwear sent to waste management facilities in the United States in 2018, by destination (in thousand U.S. tons) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 25, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1309116/us-waste-clothing-destination/
Environmental Protection Agency. "Volume of clothing and footwear sent to waste management facilities in the United States in 2018, by destination (in thousand U.S. tons)." Chart. January 23, 2021. Statista. Accessed August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1309116/us-waste-clothing-destination/
Environmental Protection Agency. (2021). Volume of clothing and footwear sent to waste management facilities in the United States in 2018, by destination (in thousand U.S. tons). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 25, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1309116/us-waste-clothing-destination/
Environmental Protection Agency. "Volume of Clothing and Footwear Sent to Waste Management Facilities in The United States in 2018, by Destination (in Thousand U.S. Tons)." Statista, Statista Inc., 23 Jan 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1309116/us-waste-clothing-destination/
Environmental Protection Agency, Volume of clothing and footwear sent to waste management facilities in the United States in 2018, by destination (in thousand U.S. tons) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1309116/us-waste-clothing-destination/ (last visited August 25, 2024)
Volume of clothing and footwear sent to waste management facilities in the United States in 2018, by destination (in thousand U.S. tons) [Graph], Environmental Protection Agency, January 23, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1309116/us-waste-clothing-destination/