The third International Day of Zero Waste, facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), will be observed on 30 March 2025. This year’s theme, “towards zero waste in fashion and textiles”, highlights the vital role of the fast-growing fashion and textiles sector in countering the waste pollution crisis gripping the planet.
Advocates say the industry could embody the zero-waste agenda by bolstering waste management globally, reducing waste generation, and promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Humanity generates up to 2.3 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, a tally that includes everything from food to electronics to textiles. Every year, 92 million tonnes of textile waste is produced globally, found The Global Fashion Agenda. This is the equivalent of a garbage truck full of clothing being incinerated or sent to a landfill every second. Between 2000 and 2015, clothing production doubled while the duration of garment use decreased 36 per cent, found the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
The fashion and textiles sector accounts for 2–8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and 9 per cent of microplastic pollution reaching the oceans annually. It also consumes 215 trillion liters of water—equivalent to 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. An estimated 15,000 chemicals are used in the textile manufacturing process, and some of these substances accumulate in the environment for decades.
“The fashion and textile sector is fueling mass overconsumption and waste pollution. And as the industry continues to rapidly grow, so will its environmental impact, unless a shift towards circularity and sustainable production and consumption is taken by all actors,” said Jacqueline Alvarez, the Chief of UNEP’s Chemicals and Health Branch. “The International Day of Zero Waste 2025 will promote a more circular sector and the recognition of textile waste as a valuable resource.”
Zero-Waste Day will be observed through events and activities held worldwide, aiming to raise awareness of national, subnational, regional, and local zero-waste initiatives and their contributions to achieving sustainable development. UNEP and UN-Habitat invite partners and stakeholders to register their events and activities using this registration link.
“Achieving zero waste in fashion and textiles cannot be an isolated effort,” added Alvarez. “It requires determined action from all stakeholders, with benefits for all. Reducing pollution will at the end bring economic and environmental gains for all of society.”
Find out more: International Day of Zero Waste Event Page
International Day of Zero Waste, observed on 30 March 2024, was established through UN General Assembly Resolution 77/161 and is jointly facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). This day aims to raise awareness about the critical role of waste management and responsible consumption and production in achieving sustainable development. It calls on individuals and organizations to adopt a life-cycle approach, focusing on reducing resource use and environmental emissions at every stage of a product's life cycle.
#BeatPollution and #BeatWastePollution aim to build and nurture a larger narrative on a pollution-free planet that weaves interrelated aspects of climate and nature and connects different forms of pollution to the larger issue of pollution and waste. The goal is to optimize human health and environmental outcomes through enhanced capacity and leadership in the sound management of chemicals and waste and increasing circular processes.
