Open letter highlights crisis in EU textile waste management

ACR+, alongside RREUSE and Zero Waste Europe, has issued an open letter urging EU and national policymakers to act swiftly in preventing a collapse of the used textile value chain. With the EU's mandatory separate textile waste collection set to begin on 1 January 2025, the sector faces unprecedented challenges, including insufficient infrastructure and funding. The delay in implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, anticipated to take two to five years, further exacerbates the crisis, leaving the sector vulnerable during this critical transition period. 

The open letter proposes establishing an emergency transitional funding mechanism to support textile collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling operations. Highlighting the environmental, economic, and social stakes, the letter calls for prioritising local and regional reuse efforts and supporting social enterprises that provide employment to vulnerable groups. This appeal stresses the need for immediate solutions to uphold the EU's circular economy goals and reduce reliance on non-EU countries for textile waste management. 

Read the full letter.