New EU law: What you need to know about old clothing disposal!

From 2023, new regulations for the disposal of textiles apply in the European Union. The regulation stipulates that old textiles have to be collected separately. However, heavily dirty, damaged or contaminated clothing should be disposed of in the residual waste bin. The aim of these new requirements is to optimize the recycling and increase the return rate of old textiles. Well -preserved clothing should continue to get to old clothing containers in order to improve the recycling processes. Heavily worn or contaminated textiles cannot be recycled efficiently, and there is currently no sustainable solution for their recycling.

In the Wesermarsch, there has been a free collection system for old clothes for many years. The corresponding containers are set up at supermarket parking spaces, in housing estates and at recycling centers. A problem are overcrowded containers: clothing may not be placed next to the containers, as this is considered illegal waste disposal and can be proven with fines. The Wesermarsch disposal has not set up its own collective container and is not responsible for emptying and cleaning; This responsibility lies with the users who have set up the containers.

EU requirements for textile disposal

In addition to the existing regulations, the requirements change as of January 1, 2025 if used textiles in the EU have to be collected separately from other waste. This measure aims to reduce the annually burned or deposited textiles and to promote reuse and recycling. In Germany, over one million tons of old textiles end up in containers every year, with only about 50% of the textiles collected. Around 10% of these usable textiles go directly to people in need, while the rest are often marketed outside the EU.

The proportion of old textiles recorded separately in the EU is around 22%. Global is estimated that less than 1% of the old textiles are recycled into new products. In Germany, the collection is mainly via non -profit organizations and the collective rate is between 50% and 65%. In other EU countries, such as Latvia and Spain, the collection rate is significantly lower, with 5% and 12%. In order to improve the recycling, an “extended responsibility of the manufacturer” is discussed, at which manufacturers for collection, sorting and recycling have to be paid. At the moment there is already an expanded responsibility for manufacturers in the EU for other product groups such as batteries and packaging.

Particularly challenging for recycling are mixed fibers in textiles, which often means that many textiles have to be burned after sorting. In addition, there are currently no regulations for the ecological design of textiles in the EU. Consumers are encouraged to buy less, select durable products and pay attention to labels such as the Blue angel or the green button. Closing and second-hand purchases are also recommended as sustainable alternatives.