In the debate around second-hand clothing and the circular textile economy, many myths and half-truths persist. This article aims to separate fact from fiction — exploring what really happens with donated clothes, how much is recycled, the impact of overproduction, policy changes, and the global imbalances in the used-clothing market.

Is Europe dumping its clothing waste in African countries? The evidence says it's not. Instead the current reporting on textile waste points to a narrative that has misled journalists, politicians, environmental activists, and the public alike. But how could such a widespread misperception take root?

For several years Ghana has been labelled a dumping ground for Europe’s discarded clothing. But where are the mountains of second-hand garments? We couldn't find them.

From policy concept to practical experiment: the EU is testing automated systems that pay consumers to return used clothing, linking collection directly to reuse, recycling and upcoming regulatory frameworks. The European Commission has launched a multi-year pilot project testing automated collection and sorting systems for post-consumer textiles in Spain and Finland. The project, known as TexMat and led by Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre together with partners in sev

Beyond headlines about geopolitics and agriculture, the EU–Mercosur trade agreement is set to alter competitive dynamics in the global textile and apparel sector, with implications for sourcing, sustainability strategies and circular business models. Following the political agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, textile and apparel actors are beginning to assess how the deal may affect global markets. The agreement will gradua

As Basel Convention rules on used textiles come under review, the classification of garments as waste or goods is emerging as a key fault line for global reuse markets and textile trade.

Kenya’s President William Ruto stated on Tuesday that the country will not ban the import of second-hand clothing, known locally as "mitumba". This was more than a domestic reassurance to market traders, it was a clear political signal in a global debate increasingly framed around textile waste, trade justice and industrial development. SHORT SUMMARY Kenya’s decision not to ban second-hand clothing imports challenges dominant narratives that portray reuse as a waste problem o

A one-year extension of AGOA provides temporary relief for U.S. exports of secondhand clothing to African markets, while exposing the fragility of global trade rules underpinning textile reuse.

Industry associations EuRIC and FEAD have jointly called for immediate support measures for the EU’s post-consumer textiles sector while Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are phased in under the revised Waste Framework Directive. Though the planned EPR regime is expected to shift management costs to producers, its long implementation timeline means collection, sorting and recycling operations face severe financial strain today. The groups propose temporary fundin

A coalition of European NGOs and reuse operators, including Emmaüs Europe and RREUSE, has issued a joint statement highlighting mounting pressures on the EU second-hand textiles sector. Oversupply of low-quality fast fashion, rising operational costs and market saturation are squeezing social enterprises that collect, sort and resell textile goods. The policy paper urges urgent regulatory action such as fair Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, interim financial su

Shein’s leadership is set to appear before the European Parliament and has recently held meetings with the European Commission after heightened regulatory pressure across the bloc. The developments come shortly after France considered temporary restrictions on the platform’s operations, triggering concern among lawmakers over transparency, product safety and compliance with EU rules. Several members of the European Parliament have called for stronger enforcement rather than c

Germany is preparing national legislation to introduce a levy on fast fashion as an early implementation of extended producer responsibility for textiles, ahead of the EU’s harmonised framework.

The European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur have reached a political agreement on their long-negotiated partnership deal. For the textile and apparel sector, the agreement brings concrete and time-bound changes that will shape trade between the two regions.

The textile sector does not suffer from a lack of ambition. It faces the risk of oversimplification and 2026 will be a decisive year. As strategies translate into binding rules and intentions into obligations, the margin for error narrows. What matters now is not how forcefully problems are framed, but how carefully solutions are constructed.

Following the entry into force of the revised EU Waste Framework Directive in October 2025, sector organisations are now turning attention to how mandatory textile EPR systems will be implemented at national level.

As Europe enters 2026, the immediate pressure on textile collection has eased in many places. However, beneath this apparent stabilisation lies a deeper structural problem: without sufficiently developed sorting capacity and viable end markets, separate textile collection risks becoming a logistical success but a circular failure.

At the start of 2026, India reintroduced import duties on cotton, ending a period of duty-free access to foreign cotton. The decision is aimed at protecting domestic farmers, but it could have wider consequences for clothing production, prices, and textile waste flows far beyond India.

Following the agreement to introduce a €3 flat fee on small parcels imported into the EU, several policymakers are already questioning whether the measure will be sufficient to curb the surge of ultra-cheap goods entering the European market.

A new research report outlines how future EU labels could help consumers, authorities and markets distinguish durable products from greenwashing.

When environment ministers from around the world gathered in Nairobi in December, the seventh session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7) concluded with decisions that could have far-reaching implications for how textiles are managed globally. The meeting resulted in a new medium-term strategy for the UN Environment Programme for 2026–2029, alongside an updated resolution on chemicals and waste. Together, they reinforce the push to accelerate the transition towards circul