The Landfill Crisis Under Our Feet: The Extent of the Footwear Industry's Waste

Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfill, that is the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of clothes dumped every second. It's an eye watering figure but the numbers do not stop there.

In the past 15 years, the average number of times a garment is worn has dropped around 36%. Trends come and go faster, and repair culture has been replaced by the mindset of 'just buy new'. As a result, the average US consumer throws away 81.5Ibs of clothing every year.

And Shoes? The picture is just as troubling. Globally an estimated 22 billion pairs of shoes are sent to landfill annually, with 149 million coming from the UK alone. A staggering 90% of shoes produced each year will eventually end up in landfill, many within the first 12 months of purchase.

So... Why Does It Matter?

Because footwear and apparel aren't designed to disappear. Most shoes are made from mixed materials — rubber, plastic, leather, and synthetics that can take decades or even centuries to break down.

With an estimated 22 billion pairs of shoes ending up in landfill every year, that's close to the equivalent of every person on the planet throwing away three pairs annually. It's a staggering figure and shows just how urgently we need to change course.

Consumers Want Better

Although there is good news. 77% of UK consumers believe the shoe industry should do more to reduce its wase, and 60% say they are willing to pay more for it. However, many brands don't make their sustainability efforts visible or easy for customers to understand.

Meanwhile, the appetite is growing. In 2023, 55% of UK adults chose to repair an item instead of replacing it, and 76% of consumers  said they would consider using a repair service.

That's where we come in.

The Boot Repair Company: Giving Footwear and Apparel a Second Life

At The Boot Repair Company, we're on a mission to shift the narrative. A tear, worn sole, or broken zip should not mean the end for your beloved footwear. Our repair, resale, and end-of-life services are designed to extend the life of your gear, and to help reduce the industry's environmental impact.

Here's How We're Helping

We restore everything from work and walking boots, to dress shoes, welted boots and even trainers. From resoles and re-stitching, to zip, strap and buckle repairs, we even provide a professional cleaning and conditioning service, as well as bag and apparel repairs.

Customers can send their beloved footwear to us via our easy-to-use online repair service, and have them sent right to their doorstep refreshed and restored, ready to carry on their journey for years to come. No longer do customers have to go in store for boot repairs, everything can be done through our websites in just a few easy steps.

We also provide warranty repair services for brands, offering a streamlined solution for their customers and retailers. Now instead of brands automatically replacing any returned footwear, returned items can be sent to us for repair. This again reduces the amount of footwear going into landfill, as shoes will no longer be discarded when returned by a customer, instead they will be restored by us. So they can be back on the customers feet, and off the waste heap.

As well as this we work with different brands across the industry to create resale systems for pre-loved and refurbished footwear. We acquire footwear from these brands, restore them, and then resell them on our resale site or a bespoke resale site created specifically for that brand. This helps customers access quality boots at a lower environmental and financial cost, whilst also helping brands commit to more sustainable and circular practices.

Of course not everything can be saved — but even when a boot has truly reached its end, we can often recycle and harvest useable parts to use for future repairs, so landfill really is never the only option.

Your Boots Deserve Better Than Landfill

And you do too.

By choosing repair over replacement, you're not just saving your footwear, you're helping reshape the future of fashion. Every repair helps reduce the 22 billion pairs of shoes and 92 million tones of garments sent to landfill each year, and takes a step toward a more circular and sustainable economy.

Lets make repair the norm, and landfill the last resort.

Want to see what repair can really do? Check out our socials, where we regularly share our repair transformations.

(Statistics in this article are sourced from this piece by our partners Vivobarefoot)