It ain't fashion, if it ain't sustainable

Politics of Waste 10 November 2025

The UNEP Project and the Battle Over Used Clothes

This five-part Spotlight edition examines how a UN initiative to define “textile waste” has divided the global circular economy. Drawing on evidence from Kenya, Ghana, Pakistan, and global recyclers, the series reveals how sustainability policy, donor influence, and contested data are reshaping trade, livelihoods, and legitimacy in the worldwide second-hand clothing market.

[The texfash Spotlight series runs through the week.]

In This Series

1. The debate over defining textile waste has become central to discussions on global circularity, with stakeholders warning of serious repercussions for developing economies.

Threads of Control / Politics of Waste / I

How UNEP’s Used Textile Guidelines Risk Destroying What They Claim to Save

As the global textiles industry faces mounting scrutiny over waste, UNEP’s efforts to define what counts as “used” or “discarded” are sparking tension. Critics warn that new circularity rules risk undermining reuse economies in developing countries, threatening livelihoods and exposing how environmental ambition can collide with economic dependence.

Subir Ghosh

Analysis

10 November 2025

11 minutes