Fossil Fuels Still Dominate Fashion’s Material Mix

A damning new report by Textile Exchange has revealed that production of fossil fuel-based fabrics, such as polyester, is on the rise despite sustainability efforts in the industry.

The Materials Market Report, which reports annually on the global assortment of fiber production, found that virgin, fossil-based synthetic fibers increased from 67 million tons in 2022 to 75 million tons in 2023. Polyester remains the most common accounting for 57% of all fiber production.

The amount of recycled polyester produced also increased, but its market share decreased because of overall fiber production increasing 7% year-on-year from 116 million tons in 2022 to 124 million tons. Less than 1% of the global fiber market came from pre- and post-consumer recycled textiles.

Sustainability experts have been calling for an urgent need to decrease clothing volumes to meet carbon targets for several years, but the latest statistics suggest this is falling on deaf ears.

The report comes as Woolmark, which promotes the wool industry, launch a campaign video urging people to choose wool over synthetic materials. The video riffs on zombie apocalypse films showing people chased by clothes with the message that “every synthetic garment ever made still exists in some form, haunting our planet.”

John Roberts, managing director of Woolmark, says “Wear Wool, Not Waste is more than a marketing campaign, it’s an urgent call to citizens and the industry at large to re-evaluate fiber choices. Merino wool is inherently natural and renewable and has the potential to be a transformational solution to fashion’s impact problem.”

The Materials Market Report showed progress in the wool sector where fibers produced under sustainability standards such as the Responsible Wool Standard, ZQ, SustainaWOOL, Sustainable Cape Wool Standard and Climate Beneficial programs increased from 4.2% of the total mix in 2022 to 4.8% in 2023.

This is still a very small market share, but Woolmark is working on driving further progress having invested AUD$34 million in nature positive programs over the past two years. It aims to continue this work and launched Woolmark+, a new roadmap of sustainability initiatives, earlier this month.

Beyond wool and polyester, the Materials Market Report, found that in 2023 cotton production fell from 25.1 million tons to 24.4 million tons. The share of sustainably certified cotton remained stable at 29%. Manmade cellulosic fibers, such as viscose, increased from 7.4 million tons to 7.9 million tons, representing 6% of the global fiber market.

Claire Bergkamp, CEO at Textile Exchange, said: “We hope this data serves as a clear call to action for the industry, highlighting both the successes and the critical areas where we must intensify our focus to meet climate targets.

“Unlocking textile-to-textile recycling pathways will be essential to reducing reliance on virgin synthetics. Equally important is continuing to support those on the ground who are driving the transition from conventional systems to preferred materials. It is more urgent than ever to support those who have already invested in preferred systems, while also enabling the transition away from conventional at scale.”