Second-hand industry appears cautiously optimistic after Geneva waste talks

The second-hand and textile reuse sector appears cautiously optimistic after last week’s Basel Convention negotiations in Geneva. No new global controls for used clothes were decided, but industry representatives contacted by Reuse News describe the discussions as more constructive than many had feared.

Used textiles and textile waste are now moving further into the Basel process, where future rules could affect how second-hand goods, recyclable textiles and waste are classified and traded across borders. For the reuse sector, that makes the outcome important. The central concern has been that reusable clothing could be pulled into waste controls if international rules fail to distinguish clearly between second-hand goods and textile waste.

Several industry representatives argue that the Geneva discussions showed a growing awareness of that risk. They point in particular to interventions from importing countries, including Kenya, and to a stronger focus on definitions, evidence and real trade flows.

That position is also reflected in public submissions from the recycling and reuse industry. BIR, the Bureau of International Recycling, has called for an “evidence-based” approach and argues that regulation must distinguish between “reusable textiles, recyclable materials and waste”. The organisation has warned that global rules should address environmental harm “without hindering the circular flows” that already keep textiles in use.

SMART, the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association, has made a similar point. It says the key issue is to clarify “what products can move across borders as used textiles and what should be treated as waste”.

The industry’s message is therefore that rules must be built on evidence and practical knowledge of how the second-hand trade actually works.

Environmental groups take a different view.

Ahead of the Geneva meeting, EIA (Environmental Investigation Agency) an international environmental NGO argued that textile waste has become a loophole in the global waste trade system and called for stronger international controls under the Basel Convention. However, there is till no evidence presented that support this position.