A story becoming actual policy

The debate over textile waste is no longer confined to conferences, NGO reports and industry discussions. It is increasingly shaping legislation and international policy.

In the EU, separate collection of textile waste became mandatory in January 2025.

Extended Producer Responsibility schemes are being introduced across member states, requiring producers to finance collection, sorting and treatment of used textiles.

The EU's revised Waste Shipment Regulation will also tighten controls on waste exports, particularly to non-OECD countries.

At the same time, international bodies including UNEP and the Basel Convention are examining whether existing rules are sufficient to address concerns about textile waste and used-clothing exports.

Taken individually, these initiatives may appear technical. Together, they have the potential to reshape the global second-hand textile trade.

This matters because the trade sits at the intersection of several policy goals that do not always align.

Governments want to reduce waste and improve environmental protection. At the same time, policymakers are seeking to expand circularity, reduce resource consumption and keep products in use for longer.

The challenge is that many of the proposed measures depend on assumptions about the relationship between second-hand clothing and waste. If those assumptions are incomplete or inaccurate, regulations designed to solve one problem could create others.

For businesses, charities, sorters, exporters and importing countries, the decisions being discussed today may determine how second-hand trade operates for decades to come.