The Hard-Hitting Numbers: Fashion and Décor’s Environmental Impact

Water Consumption:

• The fashion industry uses 79 trillion liters of water annually, equivalent to the drinking needs of the world’s population for 12 years.
• Producing one cotton T-shirt consumes about 2,700 liters of water—enough for one person to drink for 2.5 years.
• In wallpaper production, PVC-based wallpapers require large amounts of water and chemicals during manufacturing and printing.

Textile Waste:

• Globally, we generate 92 million tons of textile waste annually—enough to fill a landfill the size of the Taj Mahal every year.
• In India, majority of textile waste is either burned or left to decompose in landfills, releasing harmful greenhouse gases like methane.

Chemical Pollution:

• Textile dyeing is the second-largest water polluter, responsible for 20% of global water contamination. Rivers in India, such as those in Tirupur and Kanpur, bear the brunt of untreated dye effluents.
• Paints commonly used on walls release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that harm indoor air quality and contribute to smog.

Carbon Emissions:

• The global fashion industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
• PVC wallpapers emit greenhouse gases during production and do not biodegrade, leaving behind a legacy of waste.

Microplastic Pollution:

• Synthetic fibers like polyester, nylon, and acrylic—used in 60% of clothing—shed 500,000 tons of microplastics annually, polluting oceans and harming marine life.
• Similarly, plastic-based wall décor contributes to microplastic waste when discarded.