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Two weeks or 200 years? We’ve broken down how long it takes for your clothes to decompose, one fabric at a time.
With spring a few sunrises away, now is the time we begin rethinking our closets and cleaning them out to make way for the fresh and new. Back in the day, this would involve bags of clothes marked for donation bins or, in worst-case scenarios, tossed into trash cans, where they’d end up in landfills. But now, thanks to cool new companies and apps offering platforms to sell your pre-loved clothing or recycle those old pairs of socks, clothing is given a second life. That’s a good thing. Because what happens to our old clothes in landfills is that they break down slowly over the course of months or centuries.
Not many of us think about what happens after we toss our shirts or pants away. Yet, as textile waste piles up, it snowballs into toxins, pollution, and waste in the environment. So, it pays to understand how long different fabrics take to break down. After all, it’s only after we know that we can make better shopping choices for our health and the planet’s.
So, let’s explore how long fabrics—natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic—decompose. And if you’re anything like us, you’ll find this info helpful for understanding the environmental impact of your wardrobe.
Understanding Fabric Decomposition
Decomposition relates to clothing fibers breaking down into tiny parts that mix back into the earth. Naturally, organic fabrics decay faster than synthetic ones. Yet, the rate of decomposition also depends on a variety of factors- material composition, moisture levels, oxygen, and temperature. Unfortunately, landfills aggravate these conditions with the heavy load of materials, chemicals, and synthetics, and can slow the breakdown process.
Knowing how quickly clothes decompose helps us reduce trash and choose more eco-friendly options. It’s a simple way to lessen our carbon footprint.
Natural Fabrics and Their Decomposition Times
Natural fibers come from plants or animals and tend to decompose faster than synthetics. At their best, when these materials are treated with natural or plant-based dyes and finishes, they decompose more quickly than when treated with chemical dyes or treatments. Oftentimes, these fabrics are considered biodegradable- meaning they naturally degrade within 6 months. Sometimes, these materials can also be compostable- meaning they’re made with organic materials and dyes that can decompose in soil, mulch, or compost. At their worst, while the fabrics are natural, finishes, dyes, and chemical treatments slow decomposition and can be toxic to the environment.
Here’s a quick rundown of popular natural fabrics:
Linen
Linen is made from flax plants. It’s strong, breathable, and biodegradable. When untreated (not dyed), it can decompose as quickly as 2 weeks. Considering that most linen clothing available on the market has been dyed, the average linen clothing is estimated to take around 2 to 5 years to break down in the soil. Moisture and good bacteria speed up the process, but as mentioned before, landfills slow it down.
Organic & Conventional Cotton
There’s a reason cotton was once dubbed “the fabric of our lives”. The crop thrives in warm climates and is a durable and versatile material. When grown organically- without fertilizers, pesticides, or chemicals- it can decompose within 1 to 5 months.
However, conventional cotton- grown with the use of fertilizers and pesticides- is a different story. It can take longer to decompose. Adding to that, chemical treatments and dyes also slow that process considerably, stretching it out to several years.
Wool
Wool, made from sheep’s fleece, is a warm, soft fabric that can fully decay in 3 to 4 months. As a natural fiber, it can also degrade naturally in the soil, where studies have shown that it degrades within 4 weeks. And, as the fabric breaks down, it releases nutrients back into the soil.
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber produced by silk worms. Similar to most natural fabrics, it can break down faster when it is woven into fabrics without dyes or chemicals. Natural silk can decompose within 1 to 5 years, whereas it can take anywhere from 5 to 25 years for silk treated with dyes and chemicals.
Cashmere
Cashmere, a softer version of wool sourced from cashmere goats, shares similar breakdown times—usually between 1 and 5 years. Like wool, its decay depends on environmental factors and treatments, and untreated cashmere tends to decompose faster.
Semi-Synthetic and Regenerated Fabrics
These fabrics are made from natural plant cellulose – a part of the outermost layer of plants. Generally, these include sturdy plants like wood and bamboo. While the fabrics have many great qualities, such as being durable, they also undergo an extensive process that can affect their decomposability. Here are several key semi-synthetic fabrics to know:
Tencel (Lyocell)
Tencel or Lyocell takes about 1 to 3 months to biodegrade. It’s made from eucalyptus wood pulp, and when sourced from responsibly managed forests, it is known as being eco-friendly. When disposed of properly in compost or soil, Tencel breaks down quickly due to its natural fiber content, though some residual processing chemicals may remain.
Rayon
Known for its soft texture and sheen, ryaon is often used as a substitute for silk. Similar to Tencel, it’s also made from cellulose and wood pulp through a heavy chemical process. However, it still has a fairly fast decomposition rate. Some studies show that with optimal soil conditions, it can decompose within 6 weeks. However, generally, because of dyes and finishes, it’s estimated that it can take 6 months to decompose.
Synthetic Fabrics and Their Decomposition Times
Synthetic fibers are not sourced from plants, but rather chemicals and nonrenewable resources. Oftentimes, they’re sourced from fossil fuels, making them essentially plastic-based fabrics. Plastic can easily be manipulated and is highly durable. However, the downside is that these materials can take hundreds of years to decompose. And, while they decompose, they break down into microplastics.
Polyester
Polyester is a popular plastic-based fabric used in everything from sportswear to dresses. It can take anywhere from 20 to 200 years to decompose. This long lifespan means polyester waste builds up in landfills, releasing microplastics into oceans and soil.
Lycra (Spandex) and Elastane
Lycra or Spandex are elastic fibers found in many workout clothes and any clothing with stretch. Unfortunately, it’s designed to resist bacterial and microbial breakdown that breaks down clothing, so they can take upwards of 200 years in landfills.
Decomposition of Blended Fabrics
Many clothes are made from two or more fabrics, like cotton-polyester blends or wool and spandex. These mixtures complicate decomposition because the fabric components break down at different speeds. Usually, synthetic parts persist longer, delaying complete biodegradation.
Choosing clothing made from 100% natural fibers reduces this challenge. Eco-conscious consumers can look for sustainable, biodegradable options to cut down on waste.
The environment plays a crucial role in breaking down fabrics. In warm, moist conditions, microbes flourish and speed up decomposition. In contrast, dry or cold places slow the process. Landfills often trap gases and moisture, making it harder for fabrics to decay.
Chemical treatments and dyes also influence breakdown rates. Natural fabrics with less chemical processing decay quicker than those that are heavily treated or dyed.
Tips for Reducing Textile Waste
We can all minimize our contribution to textile landfill waste by choosing more natural, biodegradable fabrics when shopping. To avoid clothes treated with excessive chemicals or made with synthetic blends, look for labels such as Oeko-Tex or Organic certifications. Other tips are to:
- Opt for natural fibers like linen, cotton, or wool.
- Compost natural fabrics when possible.
- Support brands committed to eco-friendly practices.
- Repair clothes instead of discarding them.
Clothing from natural fibers like linen, cotton, and wool typically decomposes within a few months to a few years. Meanwhile, synthetic materials like polyester and Lycra can last centuries in landfills, contributing to pollution. Understanding these timelines positively influences us. Because once you know the impact, who doesn’t want to make better choices?