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Consumption

One fast fashion t-shirt

Yksi pikamuodin t-paita

43.1
Truecost score
Data confidence: MEDIUM

Carbon and water well-established. Toxicity rough estimate.

A single fast fashion t-shirt requires ~2,700L water, produces 6–8 kg CO₂e, and releases toxic dyes. Average garment worn only 7 times.

Did you know? Fashion produces more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined.
Transparent calculation

How was this number determined?

The Truecost score is calculated from absolute physical values. Each row below shows the measured value, how it was normalized, and where it comes from.

Dimension Absolute value Score 100 = Normalized Weight Weighted Confidence
Carbon Emissions 7.0 kg CO₂e 9.5 kg CO₂e 73.68 ×0.35 25.79 MEDIUM
Water Consumption 2700.0 liters 3840 liters 70.31 ×0.2 14.06 HIGH
Land Use 4.5 m²·year 51 m²·year 8.82 ×0.2 1.76 MEDIUM
Waste 0.2 kg 5 kg 4.0 ×0.15 0.60 HIGH
Toxicity 15.0 µDALY 162 µDALY 9.26 ×0.1 0.93 LOW
Truecost score (weighted sum) 43.1

Share of your annual planetary budget

Carbon Emissions 0.74%
Water Consumption 0.70%
Land Use 0.09%
Waste 0.04%
Toxicity 0.09%
Source data by dimension

Where do the absolute values come from?

Carbon Emissions
MEDIUM
UNEP (2023): 6–8 kg CO₂e per cotton t-shirt. Midpoint 7 kg. Includes farming, ginning, spinning, weaving, dyeing, finishing, transport.
  • UNEP (2023): Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain
  • Quantis (2018): Measuring Fashion — Global Apparel Environmental Impact

Range 6–8 kg reflects variation in production location and energy source.

Water Consumption
HIGH
Cotton: ~10,000 L/kg. T-shirt ~200g cotton → 2,000L. Dyeing/finishing add ~700L. Total ≈ 2,700L.
  • Water Footprint Network: cotton product water footprint
  • Chapagain et al. (2006): Water footprint of cotton consumption

The '2,700 L per t-shirt' figure is well-established. Mostly in water-stressed regions.

Land Use
MEDIUM
Cotton yield ~750 kg/ha (ICAC). 200g cotton: 0.2/750 × 10,000 = 2.67 m². Plus processing space ≈ 4.5 m².
  • ICAC (2023): Cotton production statistics
Waste
HIGH
Shirt weighs ~200g. 85% of textiles → landfill (Ellen MacArthur). Effective waste = 0.2 kg.
  • Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017): A New Textiles Economy

Average fast fashion garment worn only 7 times before disposal.

Toxicity
LOW
Textile dyeing uses ~15,000 chemicals. Estimate 15 µDALY based on formaldehyde, azo dyes, heavy metals in wastewater.
  • UNEP (2023): Chemicals in textiles report
  • REACH regulation: restricted substances in textiles

Most uncertain dimension. Impact depends on regulatory environment and wastewater treatment.

Comparisons

Methodology

Cotton water footprint (global avg), dyeing chemical load, transport from manufacturing, end-of-life (85% landfill globally).

Sources