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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

Europe wanted a circular
textile economy.
Instead it is drowning in clothes.

SPECIAL REPORT

Europe collected more clothes than it could absorb — pushing its reuse system to the limit.

As volumes surged and new regulations reshaped the market, the system handling used textiles came under increasing strain. Now, the consequences are becoming visible. Fewer clothes are reaching second-hand markets, while more are likely being diverted into waste streams instead.

Europe is collecting more clothes than ever before. New rules are tightening how textiles are exported, destroyed and handled after use. The goal is to reduce waste and build a circular textile economy. But together these changes may also be creating a new problem: the policies meant to manage Europe’s clothing surplus are now putting the system that handles it under strain.

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?

What happens to fashion’s unsold clothes? No one really knows...

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.