In a note published on Monday 27 February, the European Environment Agency (EEA) warns that the amount of used textiles exported by the EU has tripled in twenty years, and the quantities could increase further. Given that only a fraction of these exports are reused, while others end up as landfill in Africa or Asia, the EEA believes that Europe faces the challenge of managing its own used textiles.
This note examines the patterns and trends of used textile (including footwear) exports from the EU from 2000 to 2019, based on UN data.
Thus, the quantity exported has increased from just over 550,000 tonnes in 2000 to almost 1.7 million tonnes in 2019.
In 2019, the exports represented an average of 3.8 kilograms per person, or 25% of the approximately 15 kg of textiles consumed per person per year in the EU. Africa was previously the recipient of 60% of EU exports. In 2019, the continent received 46% of EU exports.
In 2000, Asia received just 26% of EU exports, compared to 41% in 2019. Most of these textiles are directed to dedicated economic zones, where they are sorted and processed. The used textiles are then mostly downcycled into industrial rags or upholstery, or re-exported for recycling in other Asian countries or reused in Africa. Textiles that cannot be recycled or re-exported are likely to end up as landfill.
Non-EU European countries, on the other hand, imported only about 10% of used textiles from the EU - a share that has remained relatively constant.
Bio-based fibres used in clothing and other textile products are often seen as more sustainable alternatives, but a new technical report from the EEA’s European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Use shows that this picture needs to be qualified, the EEA points out.
The EEA note: https://aeur.eu/f/5ii (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)