EU's new textile laws to transform waste disposal from 2025
"Under EU rules on waste, Member States are required to set up separate collection of textiles by 1 January 2025," reports "Bild." Significant changes are anticipated in the field of textile disposal. It is already known what exactly awaits us.
"Bild" informs that according to the new regulations, worn-out clothes, including those in poor condition, will no longer be allowed to be thrown in the rubbish bin. This includes old, damaged T-shirts, used jeans, or faded bed linens.
The new regulations are part of a broader European Union plan aimed at improving sustainability in the textile industry. One of the key objectives is to enhance recycling rates and reduce the negative impact of the clothing industry on the environment, which accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than all international flights and maritime transport combined.
From 1 January 2025, all textiles, regardless of their condition, will have to be separately collected in special containers for used clothing.
This means that even damaged clothes, which previously ended up in mixed waste, will have to go into special containers. If such textiles are found in the mixed waste bin, it may result in the bin not being emptied.
Change in waste sorting. Here is one of the reasons
An important aspect of this reform is promoting conscious consumerism. Experts, including Greenpeace, emphasize that it is not only important to properly segregate waste but also to buy only those clothes that we truly need and that will serve us for a long time.
The new regulations aim to create a closed-loop system, where textile materials are reused and processed, thus reducing the negative impact of fashion on the environment, summarises the German tabloid.
