Debatten om miljöeffekterna av global second-hand-handel växer snabbt i takt med nya exportregler och policyförslag. Men hur stark är egentligen evidensen bakom antagandet att handeln driver miljöproblem i mottagarländer?

EU waste shipment rules and Basel Convention debates are placing second-hand textile exports at the centre of textile policy. But most environmental impacts occur earlier in the production chain.

Second-hand clothing is increasingly being regulated through trade and waste governance frameworks. A UNECE/ECLAC study highlights how the product-versus-waste distinction may reshape global reuse markets.

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.