U.S. Reference Page

Textile Waste and Clothing Reuse Statistics

A plain-language collection of U.S. textile waste figures for writers, educators, and anyone looking for a properly sourced starting point.

Last updated September 2, 2026. The latest nationwide EPA textile material data currently published covers 2018.

Folded baby clothes beside a handmade patchwork quilt

Clothing can hold a great deal of life, from a baby's first outfits to a shirt tied to a season worth remembering. These figures put the wider textile story into context, using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's national materials data.

Key U.S. textile waste figures

17.0 million tons

of textiles entered the U.S. municipal waste stream in 2018.

That was 5.8% of all municipal solid waste generated that year. Textiles in this measure include clothing, footwear, sheets, towels, and other fabric-based goods.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 data

11.3 million tons

of U.S. textile waste was landfilled in 2018.

The EPA reported that landfilling accounted for 66.2% of textile waste management that year.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 data

2.5 million tons

of textiles were recycled in the U.S. in 2018.

That represents a 14.7% recycling rate for textiles, compared with a 32.1% recycling and composting rate for all municipal solid waste.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 data

3.2 million tons

of textiles were combusted with energy recovery in 2018.

Energy recovery accounted for 19.0% of textile waste management in the EPA's national materials data.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 data

79.6% increase

in U.S. textile waste generation from 2000 to 2018.

The EPA's tables show textile generation rising from 9.48 million tons in 2000 to 17.03 million tons in 2018.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018 data

What these figures mean

The data does not say that every garment should become a keepsake. It does show why repair, reuse, thoughtful donation, and preserving truly meaningful clothing all matter. Keeping a few beloved pieces in use or turning them into a family heirloom gives them a purpose beyond a drawer or storage box.

For families who have held onto a small collection of baby clothes, favorite shirts, uniforms, or other treasured fabric, a custom keepsake can be one thoughtful way to keep the story visible. Read about a baby clothes quilt or explore custom keepsake services.

Methodology and sources

This page uses the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's materials-specific data for textiles. The agency reports national municipal solid waste figures by material and management method. The counts here refer to the agency's 2018 textile data, its most recent nationwide data set published for this material category when this page was updated.

Cite this page

Jancy's Fancies Boutique. “Textile Waste and Clothing Reuse Statistics.” Updated September 2, 2026. https://jancysfancies.com/textile-waste-statistics