Savvy shoppers looking for luxury often hunt for high-quality materials such as 100% wool or genuine leather. But these two materials are responsible for an outsize share of the fashion industry’s methane footprint, reports The Wall Street Journal (Sept. 15, 2025).
Methane traps far more heat than carbon dioxide; it’s 86 times more potent in contributing to global warming in a 20 year time frame than carbon emissions are. These carbon emissions come mainly from animals such as cows, sheep and goats belching out the gas.
Leather and wool are particularly harmful to the environment. The materials make up only 3.8% of the apparel industry, but producing them accounts for 75% of fashion’s methane footprint.
Buying a high-quality piece of clothing made of a natural fiber such as wool will last longer than a cheaper, less durable version made of fossil-fuel derived polyester. But the fashion industry doesn’t do enough to address the environmental impact of animal-derived materials.
Man-made polyester also has a major impact on the planet, particularly as fast fashion companies pump out cheap pieces to satisfy ever-evolving trends—many of which end up in landfills. Greenhouse gas emissions from clothing are ballooning. The global fashion industry is responsible for emitting about 8.3 million metric tons of methane every year, which means its footprint will amount to nearly 4 times the methane emissions released by France annually. Ultimately, shoppers are better off buying fewer pieces of clothing and shopping secondhand when they can to lower methane and carbon emissions.
Sourcing new materials is especially harmful. Producing textiles, from extracting raw materials to manufacturing, accounts for 92% of the fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions overall. There is increasing anxiety about where mountains of clothing end up when they’re discarded. The European Parliament is going to adopt a new law requiring producers to oversee textile waste from clothing to blankets and curtains.
One challenge lies in fabric complexity. Most modern textiles are blends of natural and synthetic fibers—like cotton, polyester, and elastane. Yet most recycling technologies today, which are still primarily mechanical, can only process single-material fabrics.
Classroom discussion questions:
- Are your students aware of the emissions from different types of fabrics?
- Which is worse for the planet–polyester clothes or wool? Why?