H&M's flagship Paris store prominently features clothes boasting of being crafted from "recycled materials". In the previous year, 79 percent of the polyester used in their collections was sourced from recycled materials, with plans to achieve 100 percent recycling by the following year. H&M emphasized to AFP that recycling materials aids in lessening reliance on newly produced polyester derived from fossil fuels. However, Urska Trunk from Changing Markets pointed out that a significant majority, 93 percent, of recycled textiles originate from plastic bottles rather than repurposed garments.
Essentially, this means sourcing from fossil fuels. Urska Trunk highlights that while a plastic bottle can undergo recycling five or six times, a T-shirt made from recycled polyester cannot undergo the same process again. Textile Exchange confirms that nearly all recycled polyester is derived from PET found in plastic bottles. In Europe, the majority of textile waste meets disposal through dumping or incineration. Merely 22 percent undergoes recycling or repurposing, predominantly utilized in insulation, mattress filling, or cleaning products.
The European Commission conveyed to AFP that less than one percent of clothing fabric is repurposed into new garments. Lenzing, renowned for its wood-based fibers, acknowledges the complexity of textile recycling compared to materials like glass or paper.
Unrecyclable
Unrecyclable garments include those composed of more than two fibers. Recyclable clothing necessitates meticulous color sorting and the removal of components like zippers, buttons, and studs. Experts note that this process is both expensive and labor-intensive, although pilot initiatives are emerging in Europe, as mentioned by Lisa Panhuber from Greenpeace. Nonetheless, Urska Trunk indicates that the technology is still in its early stages.
While reusing cotton appears straightforward, experts caution that recycled cotton typically experiences a significant decline in quality, often requiring blending with other materials, thus reinstating concerns regarding mixed fabrics. Consequently, fashion brands have turned to recycled plastic as an alternative, triggering discontent from the food industry, which bears the cost of PET bottle collection.
The beverage industry expressed its dissatisfaction in an open letter to the European Parliament, asserting that the fashion industry's utilization of recycled material does not align with circularity principles. Lauriane Veillard from the Zero Waste Europe (ZWE) network further asserts that recycling polyester is a futile endeavor, citing impurities and mixtures with materials like elastane or Lycra, which hinder recycling.
Jean-Baptiste Sultan from the French NGO Carbone 4 strongly criticizes polyester, highlighting its detrimental environmental impact from production to recycling, which includes water, air, and soil pollution. Environmental organizations have been advocating for the complete cessation of polyester production by the textile industry, despite it constituting over half of their total output, as reported by Textile Exchange.
Carbon footprint
Considering the carbon footprint, where do the vast quantities of unrecyclable polyester and mixed fabrics go after Western consumers deposit them in recycling bins? According to the European Environment Agency (EEA) data from 2019, almost half of the textile waste collected in Europe finds its way to African secondhand markets, particularly controversially in Ghana, or it is frequently disposed of in "open landfills."
Additionally, 41 percent of the bloc's textile waste is directed to Asia, primarily to designated economic zones for sorting and processing. The agency explains that the majority of used textiles are downcycled into industrial rags or filling, or they are exported for recycling in other Asian nations or for reuse in Africa.
The agency further states that used textiles are primarily downcycled into industrial rags or filling, or they are re-exported for recycling in other Asian countries or for repurposing in Africa. In November, the EU implemented a new regulation with the aim of guaranteeing that waste exports undergo recycling rather than being discarded.
However, the EEA acknowledged a deficiency in consistent data regarding the volumes and outcomes of used textiles and textile waste in Europe. NGOs informed AFP that a significant portion of Europe's discarded clothing sent to Asia is directed to "Export Processing Zones." Paul Roeland from the Clean Clothes Campaign highlighted these zones as "notorious for establishing 'lawless' enclaves, where even the minimal labor standards of Pakistan and India are disregarded."
Marc Minassian from Pellenc ST, a manufacturer of optical sorting machines used in recycling, remarked that exporting clothes to countries with low labor costs for sorting also exacerbates the carbon footprint.
Recycling 'myth'
Challenging the notion of recycling, Greenpeace's consumer expert Panhuber asserts that "recycling is a myth for clothing." Nonetheless, some are exploring alternative avenues, such as the utilization of new vegetable fibers. For instance, German brand Hugo Boss incorporates Pinatex, derived from pineapple leaves, in crafting some of its sneakers.
