Scandal about old dresses: Only three out of 20 donations will find new life!

Scandal about old dresses: Only three out of 20 donations will find new life!

Pakistan - A current report by Greenpeace shows alarming results for reuse donated clothing. As part of a comprehensive examination, which was carried out in June 2024, 20 clothes were equipped with GPS trackers and donated to different providers. The results are sobering: the pieces together covered almost 81,000 kilometers, which corresponds to the double scope of the earth, but only three of these clothing could actually be used by private individuals. The research confirms that a large part of the donated clothing is not reused, but often destroyed or stored uneconomically. Well -preserved old dresses end up in warehouses and often disappear in the waste or are burned under poor conditions.

The GPS data showed that the clothing on three continents ended up in a total of nine countries. A remarkable example is a few purple boots that traveled to Pakistan and no longer sent signals there after 11,300 kilometers. A black jacket was burned in Pakistan after 10,200 kilometers after going through several intermediate stations. Over a third of the donated clothing finally landed in Africa, while only two stayed in Austria.

Problem of old clothing disposal

Greenpeace criticizes that many donors do not know about how their donated clothing actually ends and demands a ban on the export of old clothes in third countries. The organization also calls for an anti-fast fashion law to combat overproduction in the fashion industry. In view of the fact that, according to Greenpeace, a third of the clothing manufactured is never sold, the question of responsible disposal and reuse remains relevant.

In addition, Greenpeace notes that only a full-fledged old clothing sorting system exists in Austria. This leads to serious defects in the recycling process, which exports large amounts of old dresses to the global south. The lack of infrastructure means that many items of clothing end up on the street or are burned under precarious circumstances.

EU initiatives for textile reduction

In the further context, the EU has initiated several measures to reduce textile waste. In 2018, the waste policy was passed, which is now being revised. This measure attaches importance to the extended manufacturer's responsibility, so that textile manufacturers must bear the costs for the separate collection, sorting and recycling of their products. These reforms are crucial to reduce the environmental impact of textile production and to establish sustainable disposal systems.

The EU Commission also plans to combat dangerous chemicals in textiles and support consumers in choosing sustainable products. The Commission proposed a 30-month period for the implementation of these regulations, while MPs require an accelerated time window of 18 months. From January 1, 2025, Member States are obliged to collect textiles for reuse and recycling separately.

rapporteur Anna Zalewska has also formulated the goal of reducing the amount of textile waste and improving the monitoring of exported old textiles. Your appeal for an improved infrastructure for the textile collection and more efficient sorting of the settlement waste is part of a more comprehensive plan to significantly minimize the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

Overall, it is indispensable that both consumers and manufacturers take responsibility in order to actively counteract the challenges of the textile industry and the associated ecological effects. The results of the Greenpeace examination open the weaknesses in the current system and show that significant changes are necessary to promote sustainable textile economy.