60 Billion Unsold Garments: Inside Fashion’s Global Overproduction Crisis

The fashion industry, once celebrated for creativity and self-expression, is now facing global scrutiny for its staggering role in overproduction, waste, and environmental degradation. Each year, an estimated 80 to 100 billion garments are produced globally—yet up to 60 billion go unsold. That means one in three garments never even reaches a consumer’s closet. The Real Reason Clothes Are So Cheap The root cause of this waste is a volume-driven model embedded deep within the global apparel supply chain. Brands benefit from per-unit cost reductions when producing in bulk, regardless of actual demand. Manufacturers, too, push high minimum order quantities to remain profitable. The result is chronic overproduction, justified by slim profit margins and hyper-competitive pricing. Fast fashion giants like Shein and Zara are major contributors. Zara releases around 24 new collections a year; Shein reportedly lists up to 6,000 new items daily. These companies generate relentless demand for newness, often at the cost of quality, ethical labor practices, and environmental stewardship. Yet most major brands refuse to reveal how much they produce. Industry audits show that 88–89% of global brands do not publicly disclose their production volumes, shielding themselves from accountability and public pressure. The Consequences: Landfills and Oceans Full of Fashion Waste The environmental fallout is massive. The fashion industry: Produces 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually Emits around 10% of global carbon emissions Accounts for 20% of global industrial water pollution Contributes 35% of microplastics found in oceans, mostly from synthetic fibers Even more concerning, many unsold clothes are incinerated or dumped in developing nations, where landfills overflow with rejected inventory from Europe and North America. Ghana, Kenya, and Chile have become informal dumping grounds for this silent crisis. Who Pays the Price? While consumers may enjoy ultra-cheap clothing, the hidden cost is paid by exploited workers, poisoned rivers, and a warming planet. In factories across Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India, workers produce massive volumes of garments under extreme pressure—only for a significant portion of those clothes to be discarded, destroyed, or burned. What Needs to Change? Experts and sustainability advocates are calling for: Mandatory disclosure of production volumes by all fashion brands Legal caps on overproduction and incentives for circular fashion Consumer education around the cost of fast fashion and mindful purchasing Taxation or penalties on brands that incinerate or dump unsold goods Until structural changes are made, the fashion industry will continue to churn out billions of garments, many destined not for wardrobes but for wastelands.