Waste

A well-intentioned law requiring separate textile collection in Sweden from 2025 could backfire by damaging reuse markets. By mixing worn clothing with textile waste, the new system may undermine existing global reuse chains that already support sustainability, jobs, and landfill reduction. Experts argue that without better collection design, circular fashion efforts risk serious setbacks.

A powerful coalition of sustainability advocates, cultural economists, and supply chain experts has filed a groundbreaking amicus curiae brief to expose and challenge the harmful influx of second-hand clothing waste into Ghana.

A new report from the Netherlands’ Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate warns that fast fashion is derailing global efforts to build a circular textile economy. With low-quality, disposable clothing flooding the system, the report outlines urgent structural, financial, and policy reforms needed to keep circularity from collapsing under its own weight.

Hong Kong dumps 17,480 suitcases worth of textiles daily. A new Redress report reveals massive untapped potential in recycling non-wearable clothing waste and urges urgent action from brands, recyclers, and policymakers to build a circular fashion economy before landfills hit capacity by 2026.

For the EU to lead on circularity, regulation must match the pace of innovation. The T2T Alliance, an initiative dedicated to driving the global scaling of innovative textile-to-textile recycling technologies, has urged policymakers to adopt measures that enable, not hinder, the scaling of the T2T recycling industry.

The first edition of the Textiles Recycling Expo 2025 in Brussels brought together innovators, brands, policymakers, and recyclers to accelerate circularity in textiles. With cutting-edge recycling technologies on display and calls for robust EU policy frameworks, the event spotlighted the need to scale solutions through business model innovation, financing, and regulatory clarity.

At EU Green Week 2025, leaders reaffirmed that circular economy is not just green policy—it’s Europe’s competitive strategy. From the upcoming Circular Economy Act to fast fashion regulations, the EU aims to reduce resource dependency, boost innovation, and scale circular systems. Now, the focus shifts from ambition to implementation.

New research shows that UK shoppers support small, visible Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) charges on clothing to fund textile recycling and promote sustainable fashion. Transparent communication and simple labelling could help drive a circular economy without deterring consumers from making purchases.

Despite separate textile collection becoming mandatory across EU member states from January 2025, fragmented implementation and enforcement gaps undermine circular economy progress. Industry experts reveal how regulatory inconsistencies and misaligned policies are preventing meaningful recycling outcomes across European markets.

Chemical recycling attracts billions in investment promises while proven mechanical methods remain underutilised. With 73% of collected textile waste still landfilled or incinerated globally, industry experts question whether technological tunnel vision is preventing immediate impact and realistic circularity solutions.