The EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles envisages “a circular textiles ecosystem that has sufficient capacities for innovative fibre-to-fibre recycling, while the incineration and landfilling of textiles is reduced to the minimum”. The general objective of this study is to summarise the techno-scientific knowledge base of different recycling, recovery and disposal options for waste textiles. First, it is indicated that post-consumer textile waste is the largest waste fraction, and that annually more than 8 million tonnes used and waste textiles are incinerated or landfilled, a much higher share than re-use, preparing for re-use and recycling together. Textile waste recycling is limited and currently dominated by transforming apparel and home textiles into cleaning rags and insulation materials, but closed-loop recycling facilities are emerging in the EU, particularly for post-industrial textile waste. Second, the life cycle assessment and cost analysis indicated that re-use and preparing for re-use are the most cost-effective options and have the best environmental performance. Whereas recycling is associated to greater costs than incineration and landfilling, it commonly brings supplementary environmental savings. Third, economic and non-economic barriers to recycling, particularly closed-loop recycling were identified. The information provided in this report may contribute to informing policy design and implementation on textile waste management.

HUYGENS Dries;  FOSCHI Jacopo;  CARO Dario;  PATINHA CALDEIRA Carla;  FARACA Giorgia;  FOSTER Gillian;  SOLIS Martyna;  MARSCHINSKI Robert;  NAPOLANO Loredana;  FRUERGAARD ASTRUP Thomas;  TONINI Davide; 

2023-11-30

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC134586

978-92-68-09692-5 (online),   

1831-9424 (online),   

OP KJ-NA-31-750-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC134586,   

10.2760/6292 (online),