Old clothing from 2025: Where to the textiles? The focus on new EU rules!

Old clothing from 2025: Where to the textiles? The focus on new EU rules!

From January 1, 2025, old clothes may no longer be disposed of in residual waste. This is the result of a new EU directive that aims to significantly increase the recycling rate of textiles. This regulation affects all EU member states and requires a separate collection of textiles, regardless of whether they are still portable or not. The EU considers textile waste as a major environmental risk, since the textile industry produces considerable amounts of greenhouse gases and the majority of the clothing that everyone: R Europeans: in annually, ends up in the trash after a short time. According to rbb24 so far only about 1 percent of the old dresses in the recycling process.

criticism of the new regulation

The introduction of this guideline met with divided echo. While optimists like Andrea Schmider from the Rottweil district office have hope for a better recycling process, there are critical voices from the district of Calw. Helge Jesse, head of waste management, warns that the existing system could come under pressure. He fears that the increased amounts of inferior textiles that get into the recycling cycle that are already destabilized fragile old -fashioned markets. This could mean that more deposited clothing ends up in residual waste instead of being recycled, as in Black Forest Bode reported.

Even the German Red Cross expresses concerns, since the increase in heavily dirty clothing in the old clothing containers has already become a serious problem. Udo Bangerter, press spokesman for the DRK, warns that alternative disposal solutions are needed in order not to worsen the quality of the textiles collected. The market for recycling would be increasingly difficult due to the decreasing demand for inferior materials. This could be tight for the planned recycling destinations of the EU, which with this new regulation also hopes for better awareness of excessive clothing consumption.