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.

"Few industries might be so misunderstood as our industry. This is particularly sad when these misconceptions start to influence politicians and other decision makers" These are the words from Örjan Österdal, CEO of Humana Second Hand Fundraising Projects, one of Europe's largest second-hand clothing enterprises. A non-profit enterprise that´s been a part of the second-hand trading since the nineties.

The European Union has officially adopted legislation that places full financial responsibility on textile producers for the end-of-life of their products, marking a significant step towards reducing textile waste and promoting a circular economy.

When the EU decided that all member states must start collecting textiles separately by 2025, the aim was clear: to reduce one of the...

 A new alliance, the PRO Circularity Alliance, is set to join the European landscape and will be officially launched on 15 September in Frankfurt, Germany, bringing together PROs from various product streams, including textiles.

When the researchers followed the flow of second-hand clothing donations from Sweden to Kenya, they discovered a successful circular model and found no evidence for the claims that Europe is dumping it's textile waste in Kenya.

An article in Kenyan Daily Nation examines how the Russia-Ukraine conflict is reshaping Kenya’s second-hand clothing trade, disrupting shipping routes and driving up costs, including the price of mitumba.

On Wednesday, 13 Swiss organisations, including Public Eye and Fashion Revolution Switzerland, dumped fi ve tons of old clothes in Bern’s Bundesplatz to protest the issue. Their message: Switzerland is drowning in discarded fashion.

Sweden said Thursday that some used clothes can now be thrown away with regular trash, after an EU ban on textile disposal overwhelmed municipalities and flooded recycling centres.

Newly enforced EU laws requiring mandatory separate collection of textile waste have triggered a system‑wide breakdown across Europe, causing major disruptions to the second‑hand clothing ecosystem.

At the EU Environment Council, Commissioner Jessika Roswall warned that without urgent EU and national action, Europe’s recycling industry faces serious threats.

When I was tasked a year ago with delving into whether the export of second-hand clothing to African countries is, in fact, dumping of textile waste, I could never have dreamed what I would uncover. Right from the start, it sounded a little odd. Why would anyone pay tax and customs to import goods that can’t then be sold? And what forces in Europe would benefit from transporting waste to another continent when it would be far cheaper to incinerate it?

"Let's face reality and support what already works", says chairman of Ghana used clothing Association in a letter to the Financial Times. As a representative of the second-hand clothes trade in Ghana, I support the idea that EPR funds should “follow the flow of garments”. But EPR schemes in the EU and beyond must reflect the realities of global textile reuse and support what already works.

A recent 2025 Fossil Free Fashion Scorecard by Stand.earth indicates a concerning trend among top fashion brands, with over 40%...

Ireland is significantly boosting its commitment to a circular economy with an allocation of over €27 million from the Circular Economy Fund.

Ahead of the June 17 Environment Council, the European Commission issued a stark warning about the pressing issues facing the EU's recycling sector.

On June 10, 2025, the French Senate overwhelmingly adopted a bill to regulate advertising for ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein and Temu.

The European Commission, alongside consumer protection authorities from Belgium, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands, has notified Shein of multiple infringements of EU consumer law.

The Kenyan government is ramping up efforts to revive its once-thriving textile industry, aiming to boost manufacturing and create jobs as part of its "Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda."