Every inhabitant of the European Union consumes on average almost 15 kilograms of clothing and other textiles per year. Despite a significant drop due to the coronavirus pandemic, per capita textile consumption in the EU was estimated at 14.8 kilograms in 2020, the Copenhagen-based EU environment agency EEA wrote in an analysis published on Thursday. Clothing items accounted for 6.1 kilograms, household textiles such as bed linen for 6.0 kilograms and shoes for 2.7 kilograms.
All of this comes at a price for the climate and the environment: According to the EU authority, annual textile consumption requires 391 kilograms of raw materials, 9 cubic meters of water and 400 square meters of land per person. In addition, it causes a CO2 footprint of around 270 kilograms per person. Before the planned presentation of a corresponding strategy by the EU Commission in March, the Environment Agency warned that, given the high environmental and climate impact of textiles, it was essential to convert the sector to circular business models and to focus more on durable, timeless designs. (dpa)