Half of cotton in t‑shirts wasted before retail

OSLO - Norwegian researchers have found that around 44% of the cotton used to make a standard t‑shirt is lost before the garment ever reaches the consumer, raising fresh questions over how brands and manufacturers will meet circularity and eco‑design targets.

The findings, modelled on garment manufacturing in Bangladesh, are reported in the Journal of Circular Economy that models material flows and recycling potential across the full t‑shirt value chain.