Australia surpassed the United States to top an unenviable list in 2024, becoming the biggest consumer of textiles per capita, according to The Australia Institute.

Experts say the fast fashion industry is threatening the health of the country and continent — and raising serious ethical concerns. 

What's happening?

Fibre2Fashion spotlighted how Australia's status as the leader in global fashion consumption is putting industry experts on edge.

According to The Australia Institute's findings, the average Australian buys 56 new items of clothing per year, contributing to the nearly 221,000 tons of clothing sent to the country's landfills annually, as noted in the 10th edition of the Ethical Fashion Report by Baptist World Aid Australia.

A significant volume of the waste comes from fast fashion brands. The U.S. (53 items), United Kingdom (33), and China (30) rounded out the top four consumers of textiles per capita. 

Why is this important?

As a megadiverse continent, Australia is one of the 17 countries worldwide that collectively house more than 70% of all species on Earth, per the Australian Conservation Foundation. That means it plays a vital role in life-supporting functions such as climate regulation and food security.

Australia's biodiversity also benefits the economy, with the nature-based tourism sector bringing in an estimated $23 billion each year, as laid out by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

However, the fast fashion industry, which churns out cheap clothing en masse — including clothes made from petroleum-based materials such as plastic — is threatening the health of ecosystems and communities both in Australia and around the world since consumers quickly discard the apparel.

"Many of these items end up in landfill or are dumped in countries in the Global South, where they fill up their landfills, pollute beaches and oceans and contribute to more emissions," Nina Gbor, The Australia Institute's circular economy and waste program director, said in the institute's news release.

Many of the 50 million people experiencing modern slavery are also forced to work in global fashion supply chains, as BWAid explains in its ethical fashion report. 

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What can be done about this?

Julie Holt, event director at the International Expo Group, called for increased transparency and accountability to address systemic issues in the fashion industry, including greenwashing and environmental contamination, per Fibre2Fashion.

"There's demand for full traceability throughout the entire retail supply chain," Holt said. "Implementing these measures will hold retailers accountable down to the last fiber of a garment and promote more sustainable sourcing."

The Australia Institute also recommended a ban on exporting textile waste, a fast fashion tax, and discounts for people who mend their old garments, among other things.

Nehal Jain, co-founder of unwearable textiles collections and recycling service After, believes consumers can play a major role in changing the fashion industry for the better as well, per Fibre2Fashion. This can include breaking up with fast fashion and instead shopping secondhand or using your dollars to support ethical brands.

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