T e x t i l e I n d u s t r y N e w s o n r e u s e , r e c y c l i n g a n d c i r c u l a r i t y

How the myth of Africas textile waste crisis is destroying a global circular system

SPECIAL REPORT

From a distance, it looks like mountains of discarded clothing.

That image has travelled the world — repeated, amplified and turned into a defining narrative about textile waste in Africa, with real consequences for policy, the environment and millions of people.
But when we went there, the picture changed completely.

From a distance, it looks like mountains of discarded clothing. That image has travelled the world. Repeated, amplified and turned into a defining narrative about textile waste in Africa, with real consequences for policy, the environment and millions of people.
But when we went there, the picture changed completely.

Over the past few years, EU textile policy has expanded rapidly. Together, these measures are designed to build a more circular textile system. But they are also being applied to a system that is still only partly visible.

Is the EU regulating textile waste, without knowing what happens to it?

Most textiles in Europe are burned. Not recycled. Not reused.

EU starts adjusting rules as system pressure becomes visible

Last week, the European Commission opened a consultation on its proposed “Environmental Omnibus”. On paper, the initiative is about reducing administrative burden. In practice, it signals that the system is becoming harder to operate.

The elusive truth behind the second-hand export debate | Part 1

The amazing story about the mountains of textile waste in Ghana. Mountains that doesn´t exist, but nevertheless have been broadcasted all around the world as a major problem. Unfortunately these claims has also influenced policymakers and politicians within the EU, which has led to new regulations that actually threatens the circular system of clothes.