5 days ago
Sweden struggles with textile waste surge, lets torn clothes be thrown away with regular trash
STOCKHOLM, July 19 — Sweden said Thursday that some used clothes can now be thrown away with regular trash, after an EU ban on textile disposal overwhelmed municipalities and flooded recycling centres.
The decision, effective October 1, follows the European Union's decision this year requiring member countries to implement separate textile recycling, alongside existing processes for glass, paper and food waste.
Textiles are then sorted to either be reused or recycled as padding, isolation or composite materials.
But recycling centres in Sweden and other EU countries have struggled to keep up with the influx that ensued.
'Since the start of the year, the amount of textile waste collected has increased significantly, and with it the costs of sorting,' the Swedish government said in a statement.
The new regulation defines which textiles are to be sorted and which can be directly thrown in the trash, such as torn socks, stained textiles and overly worn clothes, environment minister Romina Pourmokhtari told reporters.
Humana Sverige, which collects and sells used clothing, told AFP Thursday that 'the influx of textiles we receive has dramatically increased'.
Humana told AFP that it was closing 600 of its 1,300 collection points in order to limit the flow.
'It's impossible for us to handle everything,' the organisation explained.
The issue is not limited to Sweden, Sverige said: 'Damaged clothes are sent to sorting centres in Europe, but the entire sector is overwhelmed due to this regulation.' — AFP
