At the EU Environment Council, Commissioner Jessika Roswall warned that without urgent EU and national action, Europe’s recycling industry faces serious threats. She urged Member States to use current waste regulation flexibilities and advance extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles. A strong recycling sector is essential for circularity and competitiveness but is strained by high energy costs, volatile material prices, and unfair competition from uncertified imports—especially in plastics and textiles.  With 2025 waste separation rules looming, Roswall said the crisis could worsen without support. While the 2026 Circular Economy Act will strengthen the framework, she called for immediate steps like tighter import controls and better use of EU funds. Italian Deputy Minister Vannia Gava backed early action but stressed the need for coordinated EU efforts.

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. The decision, effective October 1, follows the European Union's decision this year requiring member countries to implement separate textile recycling, alongside existing processes for glass, paper and food waste. Textiles are then sorted to either be reused or recycled as padding, isolation or composite materials. But recycling centres in Sweden and other EU countries have struggled to keep up with the influx that ensued. "Since the start of the year, the amount of textile waste collected has increased significantly, and with it the costs of sorting," the Swedish government said in a statement. The new regulation defines which textiles are to be sorted and which can be directly thrown in the trash, such as torn socks, stained textiles and overly worn clothes, environment minister Romina Pourmokhtari told reporters. Humana Sverige, which collects and sells used clothing, says that "the influx of textiles we receive has dramatically increased". Humana said it was closing 600 of its 1,300 collection points in order to limit the flow. "It's impossible for us to handle everything," the organisation explained. The issue is not limited to Sweden.Damaged clothes are sent to sorting centres in Europe, but the entire sector is overwhelmed due to this regulation.

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. The initiative was created to strengthen the role of PROs in Europe’s circular economy and to ensure that extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes remain effective, transparent, and fit for the future. The founding members of the Alliance are three German organisations: GRS Service GmbH, Stiftung GRS Batterien, and Reclay Holding GmbH.  Positioning itself as an open network, the PRO Circularity Alliance aims to engage in dialogue with European industry associations, policymakers, and stakeholders. Its mission is to develop common standards, drive efficiency gains, and reinforce the contribution of PROs to a sustainable circular economy. Selected PROs from across Europe will gather at the launch event to discuss the organisation’s objectives, governance model, and future programme of activities.

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. The study was conducted and authored by IVL, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, and commissioned by Humana Lithuania. The research explores the environmental, economic, and social benefits of exporting second-hand clothing (SHC) from Sweden to Kenya, at a pivotal time in Europe following the enforcement of mandatory textile collection under the EU Waste Framework Directive.   The study finds that a prevalent criticism – that exporting second-hand clothes to Africa constitutes dumping of low-quality garments – is not supported by evidence. Given Kenya’s high import taxes on mitumba, an East African term for second-hand clothes, importing textiles to discard them in landfills or incinerators would be economically unfeasible. Amanda Martvall , an expert from IVL and co-author of the report, said, "The mitumba market in Kenya is a practical demonstration of a successful circular economy model. It effectively extends textile life and clearly disproves the dumping narrative." IVL - Swedish Environmental Research Institute Read more: The elusive truth behind the second-hand export debate

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. Since imports from Europe and the US are considered higher quality, the disruption of Mediterranean routes has directly affected mitumba sales in Gikomba and Toi markets. MCAK Chair Teresiah Wairimu explained:  "Because of this war, a shipment from Europe has to change route. A consignment that once took one-and-a-half months to reach Kenya now takes three months. This delay not only affects availability, but also raises import costs, and that expense must be recovered."  She added that inflation, shifting fashion trends, and a weakening shilling further complicate the trade:  "As the shilling depreciates, importation costs rise, which are passed on to traders and eventually buyers. Outdated styles fetch lower prices, while new designs, produced with costlier materials, naturally sell at higher rates. Poor-quality, old fashion items remain cheaper than trendy, high-quality pieces."  According to interviews conducted by the Daily Nation, the mitumba trade remains profitable and vital, offering traders a reliable source of daily income despite these challenges.

Ultra-fast fashion is worsening the textile waste crisis. On Wednesday, 13 Swiss organisations, including Public Eye and Fashion Revolution Switzerland, dumped five tons of old clothes in Bern’s Bundesplatz to protest the issue. Their message: Switzerland is drowning in discarded fashion. They’re calling on Parliament and the Federal Council to support fair, sustainable fashion through political action. With the rise of brands like Shein and Temu, global clothing production has soared, leading to 100,000 tons of barely worn, low-quality clothes being incinerated or exported from Switzerland each year, often made under exploitative conditions. Source: Take to News

Newly enforced EU laws requiring mandatory separate collection of textile waste have triggered a system‑wide breakdown across Europe—most starkly demonstrated in Sweden—causing major disruptions to the second‑hand clothing ecosystem. Sweden, one of the first EU countries to adopt the January 1, 2025 deadline, has seen recycling centers reach breaking point. Municipal facilities reported a 60% surge in textile volumes  in early 2025, with collection centers “completely overwhelmed”  by the influx. Sweden's environment ministry announced new rules permitting exceptionally worn, stained, or tattered textiles to be discarded with regular waste beginning October 1, as systems buckle under pressure. Humana Sweden, handling over 1,300 collection points, has already shuttered nearly half— 600 sites closed —due to unmanageable intake and costs. Reuse att risk Experts warn that mixing low‑value, non‑reusable fabrics with higher quality donations is undermining existing reuse value chains. A joint study by IVL and Humana Lt reveals that poorly sorted collections harm transnational reuse systems that formerly shipped high‑quality garments from Sweden to second‑hand markets in Kenya and beyond. Reuse‑ready garments are being contaminated by unsellable waste, severely reducing their market value. Before the law change, Humana Lt sorted roughly 76% for reuse, but the emerging chaos is blurring lines between reusable and recycling‑bound textiles. A Broader EU Breakdown Although EU directives mandate all member states to implement separate textile collection by 2025 and progressive extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes covering costs of sorting and recycling, infrastructure remains inadequate across the continent. Local governments and civil society groups are lagging on compensation. Without EPR systems in full operation, the economic burden has fallen hard on municipal waste systems and charitable collectors, who face mounting costs with little support. For organizations like Artikel2 , Myrorna , and Human Bridge , the new law has converted thousands of collection sites into net liabilities—handling more garbage than reusable donations. Some are actively scaling back services or pulling out of municipal contracts altogether. Consequences for the Second‑Hand Industry The unfolding chaos presents a direct threat to the second‑hand clothing sector: Diminished quality  of donations, reducing resale potential. Higher sorting costs , limiting profitability. Reputational risk , as donations end up landfilled or incinerated contrary to donor intent. Reduced global reuse streams , as export quality drops and clean supply to markets like Kenya wanes. Europe’s fashion industry is particularly vulnerable to fast fashion’s influence. New EPR regulations aim to push producers to fund textile recycling—but the implementation gap leaves second‑hand chains at risk while systemic improvements lag. Sources: Humana Sweden Financial Times Vouge Business European Environmental Agency Texfash Apparel Views

In two recent articles in the Financial Times they highlight the critical issue of fashion and textile waste. And, as a society, we must tackle the environmental damage caused by the fashion industry’s relentless overproduction. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is an important tool to hold brands accountable for the full lifecycle of their products. 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. The second-hand clothing trade is the most established and scalable solution to textile overproduction and waste, and this is as true in Ghana as anywhere else. Global reuse keeps garments in circulation longer, reduces demand for new production and stops clothing from being sent to landfill or incineration too soon. Europe generates far more used clothing than it can reuse domestically and, in countries like ours, demand is very strong for these goods. In Ghana, this trade not only meets essential clothing needs but also directly supports the livelihoods of approximately 2.5mn people, especially benefiting women and youth through job creation and entrepreneurship. Policies that treat exports as waste by default, or restrict the flow of reusable clothing, risk undermining both environmental and social benefits. Policymakers, brands and consumers must embrace the global value of reuse and ensure garments continue to flow where they are both needed and valued. This isn’t just about cutting waste — it’s about making circularity work in the real world, from Brussels to Accra. Edward Atobrah Binkley General Secretary of the Ghana Used Clothing Dealers Association, Accra, Ghana  “Solving fashion’s waste problem”, Report , FT Weekend, May 31 “Fast fashion stuck in production-consumption rut”, Special Reports , May 22

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? It is undoubtedly a fraught issue—at least in those parts of the textile industry and environmental movement engaged with questions of waste management, circularity, and the climate crisis. It is sometimes described as a debated issue. But it is clear that the narrative “Europe is dumping its unwanted clothes in African countries” dominates the conversation. Countless stories in major international media and the haunting images of clothes washed up on Ghana’s beaches have seared themselves into the minds of many Europeans and also in African countries. As a journalist, it’s hard to let go of the question once it takes hold of your mind. What is really going on here? So we did what one should do: We tried to trace the reports and statistics back to their sources, then assess the quality of those sources and the evidence behind their claims. We reviewed the academic research in the field. What does it say, and can we draw any clear conclusions from it? Finally, we decided to travel to the places where these images originate—to assess for ourselves, with our own eyes, what is actually going on. All in all, it quickly became clear: There is no evidence that the import of second-hand clothing into Ghana is generating the volumes of textile waste claimed There are academic studies that paint an entirely different picture When we were on the ground ourselves, we were struck by how much waste there actually is—and how much of what appears to be textiles is in fact not So how has the situation come to this? One reason is that many issues in life are often more complex than they appear at first glance. What, after all, is the definition of textile waste? And surely textile waste is a problem in many countries—that no one can deny? We will attempt to answer these questions and more in our upcoming reports on “The Elusive Truth Behind the Second-Hand Export Debate”. Stay tuned! Thomas Lundkvist Managing Editor Reuse News Read more: The elusive truth behind the second-hand export debate

The digital publication  The Exchange  recently published an article about the negative consequences of second-hand import and trade in Uganda. Unfortunately, the author has completely mixed up figures and conclusions. Why, one might wonder? The article begins by stating that the proportion of textile waste from the import of second-hand clothing in Uganda is massive:  “up to 48 tonnes discarded daily, most of it ending up in landfills.” Article in The Exchange How the author arrives at this figure is explained later in the article, where reference is made to a study on the subject conducted by  WasteAid, the Management Training and Advisory Centre, and the Uganda Tailors Association . According to this study, Uganda generates a total of 48 tonnes of textile waste per day , which corresponds to 3 percent of the country’s total waste. Converted into annual figures, this amounts to 17,520 tonnes per year . However this figure includes  all textile waste , regardless of its origin. The authors interpretation of this seems to be that  all  textile waste in Uganda comes directly from imported second-hand clothing, which is a somewhat strange conclusion. Textile waste normally consists of clothing and textiles that have gone through several life cycles and can no longer be used. In most countries through both Africa and Europe the total amount of textile waste is considered to be around 2-4 per cent. of the total waste stream, which is why this figure is't in any way controversial. However, further down in the article, it turns out that there are actual figures on how much of the imported second-hand clothing is considered unusable and therefore regarded as waste upon arrival. According to the study it is around  one percent  of the imported second-hand clothing. This equates to 800 tonnes annually . So, how can 800 tonnes annually suddenly become 17,520 tonnes annually? The difference is quite substantial, which makes the conclusions in the article rather difficult to understand. All clothing, wether it is recently produced or reused will eventually become waste. Also, if Uganda didn't import second-hand clothes, it would probably import new clothes or produce them domestically. These clothes will also one day become waste. Unfortunately, this is yet another example of the misinformation that has been spread for years in both African and European media – and which has been disproved countless times by investigations and studies. The difference this time is that the article actually refers to relevant figures – but draws the wrong conclusions. Link: The Exchange Article Link: Misconceptions about textile waste in Africa threatens the circular textile economy Link: Report on second-hand clothing in Uganda & Tanzania

A recent 2025 Fossil Free Fashion Scorecard by Stand.earth indicates a concerning trend among top fashion brands, with over 40% increasing their emissions. The scorecard evaluated 42 leading brands, revealing that only three (7%) are on track to meet the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target. In contrast, 17 brands (40%) reported increased emissions compared to baseline years. Shein received an 'F' grade for a 170% rise in emissions over two years, joining Boohoo and Aritzia. H&M, however, earned the highest grade (B+), lauded for financing supplier decarbonization and engaging in climate advocacy.

Ireland is significantly boosting its commitment to a circular economy with an allocation of over €27 million from the Circular Economy Fund. Announced by Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O'Brien and Minister of State for the Circular Economy Alan Dillon, the funding will support various initiatives aimed at driving the nation's transition. This substantial investment underscores Ireland's dedication to fostering sustainable practices and reducing waste across different sectors.