- Looper JV (REMONDIS and H&M) launched in 2023; H&M’s in‑store take‑back since 2013 has collected about 172,000 t.
- European textile use rose from 17 to 19 kg per person (2019→2022), adding ~1 million t, yet only ~40% of garments are collected separately and 60% go to general waste.
- Fast fashion typically uses ~60% polyester/40% cotton with polyamide and elastane; chemical recycling can split these into polyester and cellulose pulp (for rayon), thermomechanical suits >90% polyester, and mechanical recycling generally downcycles.
- EU deadlines: revised Waste Framework Directive must be transposed by 17 June 2027 and EPR implemented by 17 April 2028 to fund sorting/recycling infrastructure (eco‑modulated fees to reward recyclable designs); Germany currently lacks infrastructure for ~1 million t of discarded garments annually.
Challenge
Textile consumption in Europe rose from 17 kg per person in 2019 to 19 kg in 2022, adding roughly 1 million tonnes of discarded garments; only ~40% are collected separately while ~60% go to general waste, overwhelming existing systems.
Collection and sorting initiatives
The Looper joint venture (REMONDIS and H&M) launched in 2023 to scale take‑back; H&M’s shop collection since 2013 has yielded about 172,000 t. Looper reports sorting into 200+ categories to improve reuse rates: ~65% of items are suitable for reuse, ~23% are recycled into low‑grade products, and ~2% currently undergo high‑quality fibre‑to‑fibre recycling.
Recycling technologies and material challenges
Fast fashion often uses mixed blends (commonly ~60% polyester/40% cotton with polyamide or elastane), complicating recycling. Mechanical recycling is less energy‑intensive but tends to downcycle; thermomechanical works for >90% polyester; chemical recycling can separate mixed fibres into polyester and cellulose pulp (for rayon) but is energy‑intensive, costly and demands high‑purity inputs.
Financing and regulation
Closing textile life cycles requires new collection/sorting infrastructure and predictable funding: the EU’s revised Waste Framework Directive mandates EPR transposition by 17 June 2027 and EPR implementation by 17 April 2028. EPR schemes use system operators and licence fees—optionally eco‑modulated—to make producers cover collection, sorting and recycling costs and to incentivise more recyclable product design.
