Fast fashion fuelling global waste crisis, UN chief warns

Speaking at an event commemorating Sunday’s International Day of Zero Waste, Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action to curb the textile industry’s devastating impact on the planet.

“Dressing to kill could kill the planet,” he stressed.

The fashion industry is one of the world’s most polluting sectors, responsible for up to eight per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

It consumes vast amounts of water – 215 trillion litres annually, equivalent to 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools – and relies on thousands of chemicals, many of them harmful to human health and ecosystems.

Despite these staggering figures, clothing is being produced and discarded at an unprecedented rate, driven by business models that prioritise speed and disposability over sustainability.

A crisis woven into our clothes

Mr. Guterres cautioned that the waste crisis in fashion is only a symptom of a much larger global problem.

Humans globally generate more than two billion tonnes of waste each year – enough to wrap around the planet 25 times if packed into standard shipping containers – polluting land, air and water, disproportionately affecting the poorest communities.

“The rich world is flooding the Global South with garbage, from obsolete computers to single-use plastics,” he said.

Many countries lack the infrastructure to process even a fraction of what is dumped on their shores, leading to increased pollution and hazardous working conditions for waste pickers.

This year’s focus: Fashion

Fashion is under the spotlight for this year’s international day, underscoring staggering resource consumption and pollution levels. It is an industry where trends change rapidly, garments are often discarded after being worn a handful of times.

Experts estimate that doubling the lifespan of clothing could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 44 per cent.

However, it is also an industry with exciting opportunities to transform lives and livelihoods for the better.

“Designers are experimenting with recycled materials. Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainability. In many countries, resale markets are booming,” Mr. Guterres said, urging everyone to contribute to the fight against waste.

Shun greenwashing

Governments, he said, must enact policies and regulations that promote sustainability and zero-waste initiatives.

Businesses must move beyond “greenwashing” and take real steps to reduce waste, increase circularity, and improve resource efficiency across supply chains.

Consumers, in turn, can play a crucial role by making environmentally responsible choices – valuing durable products, reducing excessive consumption, and embracing resale markets.

“There is no space for greenwashing,” he emphasised. “Businesses must increase circularity, waste reduction, and resource efficiency across their supply chains.”

Beyond the fashion industry, the broader fight against waste requires global coordination, he added.

More than a billion people live in slums or informal settlements without proper waste management, leading to severe health risks. Unregulated dumping and poor waste disposal practices are exacerbating pollution and biodiversity loss worldwide.

“Let us commit to do our part to clean up our act, and build a healthier, more sustainable world for us all,” Mr. Guterres concluded.