Textile Waste / Europe Scenario Interview

EU Does Not Align with Its Own Principles as Established Under Waste Hierarchy

In July, Zero Waste Europe highlighted the emissions gap that apparel industry giants will face if no urgent action is taken by governments to prevent overproduction. The EU is yet to set concrete measures on textile waste prevention, thereby cancelling out any progress towards sustainability. The report raised questions. Theresa Mörsen, Waste & Resources Policy Officer at Zero Waste Europe, throws light on the subject.

Subir Ghosh

24 August 2023

4 minutes

Long Story, Cut Short

The reduction of production volumes will require some fundamental changes in the way fashion brands operate today.
Overall, EU waste generation is on the rise and the average European still generates 530kg of municipal waste per year.
Evidence shows that 30% of clothes produced are not even sold to consumers, unveiling how overproduction is factored into the dominant business model of the sector.

The paper, 'T(h)reading a path: Towards textiles waste prevention targets', emphasised that the most significant global warming impact of the textiles industry lies in the production phase, and urges a radical remodelling of the industry.

Remodelling Needed The paper, 'T(h)reading a path: Towards textiles waste prevention targets', emphasised that the most significant global warming impact of the textiles industry lies in the production phase, and urges a radical remodelling of the industry. Paulo Sergio Zembruski / Pexels

texfash.com: The paper rings an alarm. Did the eventual conclusions surprise you at all? Or, was it what you had expected all along, and that this was just a corroboration of your fears?
Theresa Mörsen: We didn’t collect the data on the environmental impact of the textile industry. So, this literature review simply summarises the issue. We were hence not really surprised about the outcome.

You talk about the misalignment between the WFD (Waste Framework Directive) proposal and the concept of waste hierarchy. What is going to be the possible fallout of this, if not fixed? Either this misalignment is fixed, or things will be left to happen. How do you plan to take up this issue?
Theresa Mörsen: The issue is that the European Union (EU) does not align with its own principles as established under the waste hierarchy. This leaves civil society in serious doubt about the ability of the EU to tackle environmental issues. To rectify this misalignment, we will raise public awareness about textile waste and show policymakers what is at stake in the hope that they will intervene before it's too late.

But the way things actually work out, "reduce" is antithetical to "recycle" (in some ways). Recycling doesn't cut down on consumption. It only ensures that certain materials remain in circulation. One can keep making money from circularity as long as the circle keeps getting progressively bigger. Circularity works for brands and manufacturers, but "reduce" doesn't. Your comments, please.
Theresa Mörsen: The reduction of production volumes will require some fundamental changes in the way fashion brands operate today. Our report on zero waste fashion businesses outlines what sustainable businesses could look like. Some brands are already taking the lead on this like the brands represented in the French association ‘En mode climat’. Like in all sectors of the economy, planetary boundaries will eventually set limits to growth, it is important that governments pave the way for the transition that works for everyone.

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Theresa Mörsen

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T(h)reading a path: Towards textiles waste prevention targets

You emphasise heavily on prevention. Apart from what you talk about, there is the question of consumption above) and then there is the question of durability (apart from the reuse that you mention). What is your understanding of clothing durability in this context?
Theresa Mörsen: Physical durability does not equal how long clothes are actually used. Constantly changing fashion trends incentivise people to renew their wardrobe. This phenomenon is driven by the shift to online shopping, home deliveries, and mounting social pressure driven by aggressive advertisement, especially targeting the younger generations via social media. Not surprisingly, the average European clothing consumption has increased by 40% between 1996 and 2012.

You write about the majority of EU member states standing the risk of missing their 2025 recycling targets. What is it that you have observed on the basis of which you make this statement? Could you please share some examples?
Theresa Mörsen: The EU has recently published the 2023 Early Warning Reports that show precisely which countries are at risk of missing the re-use and recycling targets for municipal and packaging waste for 2025. Only nine Member States are on track to meet the 2025 targets: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia. The other states are at risk of missing one of both targets. Overall, EU waste generation is on the rise and the average European still generates 530kg of municipal waste per year. Reducing textile waste and retrieving it from municipal waste can hence make a valuable contribution to meeting the reuse and recycling targets.

Theresa Mörsen

Waste & Resources Policy Officer

Zero Waste Europe

Overproduction and consumption are two sides of the same coin. However, the sector depends on creating demand for clothes that most people don’t need but desire due to advertisements and social pressure. We don’t blame individual consumers for their decisions. What is needed is a systematic change that enables sustainable business models to thrive.

Private enterprises, SMEs, and some players smaller than the SME too matter. Legislation impacts those that have reached a certain level, and policy proposals are ‘wait and observe’. Is there a plan/policy to be able to reach out to all players?
Theresa Mörsen: For certain policies there should be exemptions for very small businesses. However, this must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For example, for bigger fashion players, we propose an EPR (extended producer responsibility) fee on volumes that would apply when a certain threshold of products placed on the market is reached.

Your paper says: “reducing overproduction of clothes can significantly decrease the industry’s carbon footprint.” Is it only about overproduction or does consumption also factor in? How do you propose to check that?
Theresa Mörsen: Overproduction and consumption are two sides of the same coin. However, the sector depends on creating demand for clothes that most people don’t need but desire due to advertisements and social pressure. We don’t blame individual consumers for their decisions. What is needed is a systematic change that enables sustainable business models to thrive. Evidence shows that 30% of clothes produced are not even sold to consumers, unveiling how overproduction is factored into the dominant business model of the sector.

A lot of the recycling in the EU means putting it in containers and transporting it to the less developed countries in Africa, Asia and the like. What plans do you see shaping up to check this unabated dumping of textile waste in faraway countries?
Theresa Mörsen: The WFD proposal includes some provisions on textile sorting prior to export. It remains to be seen if this will prove an effective measure. One issue that we see is that there is a difference between sorting reusable clothes and those clothes actually being reused — if a garment is in theory reusable that does not mean there is an actual demand for the item in recipient countries and it might still end up in a waste dump.

Overflowing with Waste

According to the paper, the average European consumes a staggering 26 kg of textiles annually while generating 11 kg of textile waste. The environmental consequences extend beyond the EU’s borders, as material extraction and production mostly take place outside the EU and exports of textile waste are commonplace polluting soil and water in recipient countries in the Global South.

Leading by Example

Addressing the global impact of the textile industry, “T(h)reading a path” highlights that reducing overproduction of clothes can significantly decrease the industry’s carbon footprint. Recycling and reuse, while beneficial, are not enough to align with the Paris Agreement goals. The paper emphasises the EU should lead by example to address the current textiles crisis and align the Waste Framework Directive accordingly.

Subir Ghosh

SUBIR GHOSH is a Kolkata-based independent journalist-writer-researcher who writes about environment, corruption, crony capitalism, conflict, wildlife, and cinema. He is the author of two books, and has co-authored two more with others. He writes, edits, reports and designs. He is also a professionally trained and qualified photographer.

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