EU rules could reshape the global second-hand clothing trade. But after months of questions, the European Commission has not provided Reuse News with robust evidence establishing the scale of unusable clothing exported as reusable goods.

The Basel process was expected to produce new controls on textile waste exports. Instead, it has exposed uncertainty over what counts as waste, what is actually being traded and whether the original diagnosis was correct.

Europe is collecting more textiles than ever before as new textile policies take effect. But recycling capacity, second-hand markets and export channels are under pressure. The result is a growing surplus of clothing inside Europe’s textile system.