A new life-cycle assessment (LCA) has confirmed the significant CO2 and water savings of reusing textiles compared to producing new clothing.
- The environmental impact of reusing textiles is 1/70 times lower, even when accounting for global exports for reuse including transport emissions.
- These results come on the back of the EU launching its Strategy for Sustainable Textiles and requirements for Member States to start collecting textiles separately by 2025.
- The study was commissioned by the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC), the umbrella organisation for the recycling industries in Europe. Through its member federations from 21 European countries, EuRIC represents more than 5,500 large companies and SMEs involved in the recycling and trade of various resource streams.
The Conclusion: The lifecycle impact assessment of reuse compared to recycling in Europe, shows that reuse avoids more than recycling, and is therefore environmentally beneficial for all three qualities. However, if the reuse does not to a large degree replace the production of new garments, recycling can be slightly more environmentally beneficial.
The Findings: The study revealed that a massive 3kg of CO2 is saved for each high/medium-quality clothing that is reused, while only 0.01% of the water used to produce new clothing is required for reuse.
- While the study confirms waste hierarchy assumptions on the environmental benefits of reuse over recycling, in the case of low-quality clothing, typically entirely composed of polyester, recycling also has comparative environmental benefits when consumers are less likely to purchase second-hand clothing.
- The study also emphasised recommendations to policymakers, calling for initiatives that accelerate investments in state-of-the-art textile recycling facilities globally.
- Innovation in fibre-to-fibre recycling will be key to keep textile fibres in the loop as volumes of non-reusable clothing are set to dramatically increase.
- The study also noted the importance of eco-design criteria that enhance the lifespan of clothing before there is a need for recycling as well as rules that mandate detailed sorting of high/medium-quality and low-quality textiles.
What They Said:
Regrettably, around 62% of used clothing and textiles end up in household waste meaning valuable textiles are likely to be incinerated or landfilled. The European textile reuse and recycling industry envisages a circular textile value chain where every piece of clothing is reused in an optimal way and/or recycled. This study endorses the environmental benefits of a global market for textile reuse and recycling’s potential to tackle the rising amounts of low-quality and non-reusable clothing.
— Mariska Boer
President
EuRIC Textiles
