Waste

New numbers released by environmental group WRAP on Tuesday show that the state of post-consumer textiles in the UK does not augur well for circularity, and the situation is compounded by concerns that the recycling and reuse sector is on the verge of collapse.

Earlier this month, the Textile Recycling Association (TRA) set alarm bells ringing in the UK when it warned of an imminent collapse of the textile recycling sector due to global market challenges. It's complicated, and TRA Chief Executive Officer Alan Wheeler helps disentangle the threads in this deep dive with texfash.com.

Implementing on-demand production at a large scale in the short term is not realistic, but purposeful fashion is certainly within reach, and it is critical to educate the final consumer about fashion’s true cost.

Sweden. France and Denmark have issued a call for new global rules for exporting textile waste under the Basel Convention, in the backdrop of EU's exports of used textiles tripling in the last 20 years to countries in Africa and Asia who do not have the capacity to ensure proper waste management.

Consumption of clothing is fuelling consumer anxiety, but an app that helps people organise and categorise their clothes made them feel more in control of their wardrobes, the digital solution working almost like those fitness trackers that record data and provide motivational encouragement.

About 50% of the clothing suitable for reuse and recycling in Catalonia is exported to middle- or low-income countries, where its purpose is unknown, is evidence that the region is "moving the problem to other places, without generating a sustainable solution."

The UK discards 1 million tonnes of textiles every year, with about a third ending up in landfill or incineration, and the football sector is a big contributor to this. Lindsay Pressdee, Senior Lecturer in Department of Materials Faculty of Science and Engineering at University of Manchester, talks about the urgent need to tackle sportswear garment waste on a footing at par with fast fashion.

Knof is a Slovenian social enterprise with a focus on circularity and sustainability. Based in the town of Krško, it runs six Stara Šola reuse boutiques, using a market model that has positive effects on the environment, the local economy and the community. Director Mojca Žganec Metelko and Coordinator of Reuse Stores Nina Goriaeva in a conversation about the Stara Šola saga.

The textile industry’s environmental and health impacts necessitate urgent attention and innovative solutions. This article delves into the historical context, exploring interdisciplinary approaches, and proposes the concept of “textile ecoliteracy” as a collaborative means to address the challenges.

The EU-driven T-REX Project has identified opportunities and gaps associated with digitisation and circularity with focus on three key segments, including waste mapping, supply chain traceability, and digital product passports.