Europe’s mounting exports of textile waste show regulatory changes can’t come soon enough

A new report from the European Environment Agency has revealed the staggering environmental impact of textile waste exported by the EU, with this tripling over the past two decades- from 0.5 million tonnes in 2000 to 1.7 million in 2019

Published

March 28, 2023

Lauren Foye

Head of Reports

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EUs policy on textiles waste fraying at the edges

New research from the European Environment Agency (EEA) has revealed the staggering volume of textile waste being generated and exported by the EU each year. The volume of used textiles exported from the EU has more than tripled over the past two decades, growing from 550,000 tonnes in 2000 to almost 1.7 million tonnes in 2019. On an individual scale, the volume of used textiles exported in 2019 was, on average, 3.8 kilogrammes per person, or 25% of the approximately 15 kg of textiles consumed by individuals each year in the EU.

In terms of upstream emissions, the research finds that for each person within the EU, textile consumption accounts for an estimated 1.3 tonnes of raw materials and 104 cubic metres of water every year. The majority of these resources are consumed outside of the EU- roughly 85% of raw materials are external to the EU, and 92% of water[i].

Figure 1: What happens to used textiles from the EU?

Source: EEA^[ii]

According to the EEA, in 2019 In 2019, 46% of used textiles ended up in Africa and 41% in Asia. With the textiles designated for Africa, the majority goes towards local reuse as there is a demand for cheap, used clothes from Europe. However, textiles unsuitable for reuse largely end up in open landfills and informal waste streams. The EEA notes that most of the textiles designated for Asia are imported to dedicated economic zones where they are sorted and processed: “The used textiles are mostly downcycled into industrial rags or filling, or re-exported for recycling in other Asian countries or for reuse in Africa. Textiles that cannot be recycled or re-exported are likely to end up in landfills.”[iii]

Incoming regulatory changes could see EPR schemes imposed

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, concerned by the growing volume of textile waste, proposed a new EU strategy for sustainable textiles in March 2022[iv]. The initiative seeks to apply circular economy principles to the EU textiles industry (covering production, products themselves, consumption, waste management, and secondary raw materials) making it more competitive. Under this strategy, textiles entering the European market would need to be long lasting, easier to repair, and their lifespan would also be extended by recycling the materials they contain into new products[v].

Further, the revision of the EU’s Waste Framework Directive will see EU members required to establish systems for the separate collection of textile waste; this must be done by 1^st January 2025. Whilst at present, there are no targets set or reporting requirements established; several EU regions do already report on annual textile waste collection. These include Austria, France, and Italy. With textile collection becoming a requirement from 2025 onwards, every member state will need a system to facilitate it. Mariska Boer, President of EuRIC Textiles, which is a voice for the European textiles recycling industry, told Euractiv that:

“We are looking at a potential increase from 2.7 million tonnes of textiles being collected within the EU now, to 5.5 million tonnes of textiles in 2030. We do not yet have adequate infrastructure for collecting and capacity of sorting and recycling to handle this increased volume and rapidly need to expand.”

A likely solution comes in the form of ‘extended producer responsibility’ (EPR) schemes, where companies operating within the EU should be aware that the revision of the EU Waste Framework Directive includes proposals to harmonise EPR schemes for textiles. This would see manufacturers obliged to finance waste collection systems at a local level. The benefits are that such schemes can help fund the separate collection of textiles waste and enable it to be diverted from landfill or export. In addition, EPR could be used to finance the necessary infrastructure for the sorting and recycling of waste textiles.

An established scheme already exists in France, where producers of textiles, household linen and footwear have been held responsible for the collection and recycling of their products since 2007. Over a 10-year period, this resulted in the number of tonnes being sorted more than doubling- growing from 96,213 in 2009 to 196,054 in 2019[vi]. The Netherlands are following in French footsteps- introducing an EPR scheme which will come into force in July 2023 for manufacturers of clothing, corporate wear and household textiles, which will see them obliged to contribute to the country’s waste collection scheme[vii]

For the EU to succeed in achieving EPR at scale, harmonisation is seen as crucial, with a recent whitepaper by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation expressly calling for such[viii]. They argue that: “Harmonised EPR regulations across the EU offer significant economic and environmental benefits. They improve the economics for the large volumes of waste from textile products and materials that currently end up landfilled or incinerated and for which there is no economically viable reuse or recycling market at the moment. Diverting textiles from incineration or landfill and ensuring they are used more is a significant step to reduce negative environmental impacts linked to pollution and GHG emission.”[ix]

The Foundation notes that whilst EPR is one solution for reducing waste in a linear economy, it does not work to limit waste at its source. Instead, they suggest greater alignment between policy frameworks that cover aspects such as product design and performance, business models, and social inclusion to avoid EPR essentially becoming a ‘sticking plaster’ solution without real change at the source of the issue:

“The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles offers an unprecedented opportunity to build such bridges and to maximise the impact of EPR on the road to a circular economy.”[x]

Support for textiles circularity outside of the EU

Work is also being done by the European Union to address circularity in markets also impacted by textile waste. For example, Bangladesh, which is the world’s second-largest garment exporter (roughly 84% of the country’s exports), which generates around 600,000 tons of textile and garment waste every year,[xi] could save around $500 million per year if it recycled textile waste locally. In a recent roundtable event hosted by the Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as a delegation from the European Union, the issue of how Bangladesh can switch to a circular textiles economy was tackled. Amongst the key topics discussed were policy changes, the need for a centralised approach, and the requirement for recycling centres to be established.

In his keynote Speech Charles Whiteley, ambassador and head of the delegation of the European Union, noted how upcoming policy changes in the EU regarding circularity and textile strategy will affect Bangladesh, thus meaning the nation will need to move quickly to respond to upcoming changes[xii].

Faruque Hassan, president of the BGMEA (Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association), said that by aligning with the visions and strategies regarding circularity and sustainability, Bangladesh was showing a commitment to a cleaner future: “The Bangladesh RMG (readymade garment) industry's march toward environmental sustainability is unprecedented and unmatched anywhere in the world,”[xiii] The BGMEA has also signed up to the UNFCCC Fashion Industry Charter on Climate Action with the specific goal of reducing GHG emissions by 30% by 2030.

Charles Whiteley, ambassador and head of the delegation of the European Union, said:

“I would like to congratulate the textile sector in Bangladesh for its readiness and capacity to successfully respond to market changes and grasp the opportunities. As the European Union we will offer continued support for the green transition in Bangladesh, including an investment framework to accompany the green transition in Bangladesh.”