Recyclers call on fashion retailers to help tackle textile ‘crisis’ in UK, EU

According to United Kingdom-based waste management company Business Waste, the textile recycling sector in the U.K.  and the European Union is in turmoil, and it is calling on fashion retailers to implement take-back programs.

“Sorters across the U.K. and Europe are facing full warehouses and halted collections due to an influx of low-quality clothing that requires costly disposal,” the company says in a news release.

The company claims over half of all clothing thrown away ends up in a landfill, creating 53 tons of textile scrap that takes up 5 percent of all landfill space. It adds that the fashion industry also is responsible for 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. As a response, Business Waste says it is calling on retailers to implement take-back programs for unwanted clothing to help combat textile scrap—similar to current take-back programs for electronics operating across the U.K.

The company cites the London-based Textile Recycling Association (TRA), which says the textile recycling sector is facing a “perfect storm” of economic crises, global market challenges and a huge influx of fast fashion items that have flooded the market with low-quality, hard-to-recycle clothing.

Graham Matthews, a recycling expert at Business Waste, suggests that retailers taking responsibility for the lifecycle of their products will alleviate pressure on the recycling sector. By accepting returns of unwanted garments, he says retailers can ensure clothing is properly sorted, recycled, recovered or repurposed and avoid the high volumes of textiles ending up in landfills while easing fees levied on collectors.

“There’s lots of financial strain on waste collectors who are currently collecting textiles that they then must pay to dispose of, when the garments have too high of a synthetic blend that they cannot be recycled,” Matthews says. “In that case, they have to pay for incineration and shredding fees. The situation is dire, with textile sorters across the U.K. and Europe reporting full warehouses and halted collections, as they struggle to find suitable end markets for the vast volumes of low-quality materials.”

Alison Carey of textile recycler Chris Carey’s Collections notes the current model of textile recycling is no longer viable, with an increase in volumes of nonreusable material coming at a high cost for collectors and sorters and calls for urgent reform to support the industry.

Additionally, Business Waste suggests that retailer-led take-back programs might serve as a solution to alleviate the industry crisis and serve as a step toward more sustainable consumer habits. The company adds that such programs could encourage consumers to think more critically about the lifecycle of their clothing and reduce the environmental impact associated with textile scrap.

The take-back programs also can be part of larger corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies that enhance the company’s impact on local communities, Business Waste says. For example, it says retailers could partner with local charities to donate refurbished clothing, supporting local needs and improving the quality of life for community members.

“Currently, the textile recycling industry is facing a period of unprecedented turmoil, and we wouldn’t demand such support if it wasn’t absolutely needed,” Matthews says. “The retailers are the most responsible party in the fashion waste problem, so why not call for their help? As it stands, current textile recycling practices will not be sustainable long-term.”