Reference page
U.S. Textile Waste Statistics
Citable figures on textile generation, recycling, combustion and landfill from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2018 materials data.
Last updated September 9, 2026. Data year: 2018.
The figures below summarize the EPA's published accounting of textiles in U.S. municipal solid waste. Each statistic links directly to the source page so it can be checked and cited in context.
Textile waste at a glance
Textiles made up 5.8% of all municipal solid waste generated in 2018.
Source: U.S. EPA, 2018 data ↗2.5 million tonsTextiles recycledThe EPA reported a 14.7% recycling rate for all textiles in 2018.
Source: U.S. EPA, 2018 data ↗3.2 million tonsTextiles combusted for energy recoveryTextiles accounted for 9.3% of municipal solid waste combusted with energy recovery in 2018.
Source: U.S. EPA, 2018 data ↗11.3 million tonsTextiles sent to landfillTextiles were 7.7% of all municipal solid waste landfilled in 2018.
Source: U.S. EPA, 2018 data ↗1.76 million tonsTextiles generated in 1960The EPA's historical series begins with 1.76 million tons of textile generation in 1960.
Source: U.S. EPA, 2018 data ↗1.71 million tonsTextiles sent to landfill in 1960The EPA recorded 1.71 million tons of textiles landfilled in 1960.
Source: U.S. EPA, 2018 data ↗50,000 tonsTextiles recycled in 1960The EPA's series records 50,000 tons of textile recycling in 1960.
Source: U.S. EPA, 2018 data ↗13%Recycling rate for clothing and footwearThe EPA estimated this clothing-and-footwear rate using information from the American Textile Recycling Service.
Source: U.S. EPA, 2018 data ↗A useful detail
Reuse is not counted in the EPA generation estimate.
The EPA notes that significant amounts of textiles enter the reuse market, but those reused textiles are not included in its generation estimate. That matters when reading these figures: the data tracks material in the municipal waste stream, not every garment that changes hands.
Methodology and sources
How to read these numbers
This page uses the EPA's textile material-specific data page and its 1960 to 2018 table. Figures are shown in the same units and rounded wording used by the EPA. “Textiles” includes clothing, footwear and other textile items in municipal solid waste, so it is broader than secondhand clothing alone.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Textiles, Material-Specific Data. Data year: 2018. Accessed September 9, 2026.
Cite this page
The Frugal Workin Man. “U.S. Textile Waste Statistics.” Updated September 9, 2026. https://buyzonealerts.com/textile-waste-statistics
Link directly to any statistic using its stable anchor, such as textiles sent to landfill in 2018.
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