Europe’s textile sorting and recycling sector is facing an “unprecedented crisis” that has pushed the industry to the brink of collapse, two major lobby groups warned Monday.
Geopolitical disruptions and a glut of used textiles fuelled by the rise of ultra-fast fashion are putting huge financial strain on the sector, according to the textiles branch of trade group the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation and Municipal Waste Europe, a nonprofit that represents the interest of local authorities in their waste management obligations. Since the spring, the price of sorted secondhand garments has been lower than the cost of processing them, raising the prospect of widespread bankruptcies, the organisations said in a joint statement.
The crisis is playing out even as the EU is moving to tackle textile waste, introducing regulation that will increase the requirement to collect, sort and recycle old clothes.
The lobby groups are calling for more financial and legislative support for the sector, including short-term financial incentives, more investment in recycling technologies and infrastructure and targeted support for municipalities in dealing with textile waste.
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