A position paper by two French organisations has called on actors from the textile industry, from producers to waste organisations, to unlock a socially responsible and circular textiles market by implementing a six-pronged approach.
POSITION PAPER: The document—Paving the Way for Responsible and Circular Textile Waste Management on a Global Scale—by Paris Good Fashion and Vestiaire Collective urges that a fundamental transformation, while considering both environmental and social dimensions without compromising the well-being of workers and communities in third countries, is imperative for the EU's transition towards a circular economy to address the issue of textile exports, ensuring that only quality garments suitable for re-use are exported.
- The paper stems from the fact that used textiles collected within the EU are predominantly exported, primarily to African and Asian countries, without sufficient control over their quality or subsequent fate. For example, only in France, 80% of collected textiles (in tonnes) are exported.
- The immense quantities involved, the highly uncertain quality of these textiles, and the inadequate local waste management infrastructure, often result in their deposition in open landfills, placing significant strain on the environment and affected communities.
SIX-PRONGED APPROACH: After conducting expert interviews and consulting its members, the working group founded by Paris Good Fashion & Vestiaire Collective calls for implementation of these essential ingredients:
- Consider potential shortcomings of the Waste Hierarchy through independent environmental impact assessment: To better understand and justify the export of used garments and textile waste from the EU, the paper urges the European Commission to conduct an independent environmental impact study on the implications of shipping textile waste and used garments destined for reuse outside the EU versus recycling in the EU as part of the ongoing revision of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD).
- Establish consistent EU-wide criteria for end-of-waste and by-product classification to enhance the quality and homogeneity of textiles destined for reuse: Establish consistent EU-wide criteria for end-of-waste and by-product classification in accordance with the waste hierarchy. These criteria would provide clarity on when sorted textiles, prepared for reuse, should no longer be considered waste. Every collected item going through sorting processes must be checked for its quality and condition before determining whether it is fit for reuse or requires recycling.
- Require quality standards for the composition of textile bales for export, with regular audits to check compliance, as part of the revised Waste Framework Directive (WFD): There are currently no standards for the composition of exported textile bales. Changing styles and needs imply changes in sorting and waste management practices. The paper says common quality standards for textiles bales for export should be established as part of the revised Waste Framework Directive, complementing the Waste Shipment Regulation.
- Promote stronger accountability: accreditation and performance controls of sorting facilities: Waste sorting facilities should be accredited, and national market surveillance authorities should conduct regular performance checks to ensure items’ quality ahead of reuse or recycling. A specific focus should be placed on items destined for export.
- Ensure the demonstrated capacity of receiving countries to deal with both textile waste and used garments: Exports of textile waste for recovery and used garments for reuse should only be allowed to countries that give their consent and demonstrate their capacity to either process such waste sustainability or have a market for used textiles. However, traceability throughout the entire export chain becomes essential, including intermediary countries, to ensure that potential loopholes can be closed and that we better understand the issue at hand.
- Leverage the knowledge of Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) to support capacity building in countries without existing textile waste management infrastructure: A dialogue between local communities and EU actors should be further facilitated and encouraged by the EU Commission.
THE STAKEHOLDERS: Founded in 2019, Paris Good Fashion (PGF) is an association under the French law of 1901 which gathers more than a hundred professional actors (companies, designers, NGOs, institutional) committed to accelerating change and transforming fashion companies' practices. It brings all actors together, whatever their field of expertise (fashion, accessory, luxury, ready-to-wear, brand, distributor...), to co-construct and share best practices.
- Founded in Paris in 2009, Vestiaire Collective is a leading global platform for pre-loved luxury fashion. Active in 80 countries worldwide, its mission is to transform the fashion industry for a more sustainable future, promoting the circular fashion movement as an alternative to overproduction, overconsumption and the wasteful practices of the industry.
