Sweden's recycling centers are brimming over with garments following this year’s EU-wide prohibition on discarding textiles, causing local authorities to be keen for major fast-fashion retailers to assume accountability.
"It’s an enormous volume arriving every day. It has been chaotic; there’s a significant surge,” stated Brian Kelly, the secretary general at the Artikel2 charitable store in Stockholm, where lines of overflowing bins were brimming with cast-off clothing.
Starting from the beginning of this year, EU nations are required to implement distinct textile recycling procedures, in addition to their current systems for handling glass, paper, and food waste.
The objective is to encourage circular waste management practices, ensuring that textiles are categorized for reuse or recycling when they aren’t excessively worn.
"There was a 60 percent rise in textiles collected during January and February of this year when compared to the corresponding months last year," stated Karin Sundin, who specializes in textile waste at Stockholm Vatten och Avfall, the city’s water and waste management organization.
After sorting the textiles, approximately 60 to 70 percent is set aside for reuse, while 20 to 30 percent is allocated for recycling into stuffing, insulation, or mixed-material products.
Approximately seven to 10 percent is used as an energy source, as stated by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
This represents a significant advancement since the implementation of the new law, say specialists, highlighting that previously, thrown-away clothes were routinely burned.
Large volumes
Nevertheless, due to insufficient infrastructure in Sweden, second-hand clothing items are predominantly shipped overseas, mainly to Lithuania, where these garments undergo sorting, reuse, or incineration for power generation.
"As opposed to the large sorting facilities in Eastern Europe that can assign value to all materials efficiently, we lack such infrastructure here," explained Sundin.
"She explained that it’s very labor-intensive and quite expensive," as she showed AFP around the Ostberga recycling center in Southern Stockholm.
Each year, Swedes discard approximately 90,000 tons of textiles, which equates to about 10 kilograms (22 pounds) per individual, as reported by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.
According to 2022 statistics, the EU average was 19 kilograms, rising from 17 in 2019, as per data released by the European Environment Agency.
The fashion sector likewise contributes to environmental contamination.
According to Yvonne Augustsson, an adviser from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, producing a T-shirt weighing 135 grams (4.76 ounces) requires approximately 2,500 liters (660 gallons) of water and about one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of chemicals.
She mentioned that this equates to approximately two to five kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions.
"In Sweden, a piece of clothing is typically worn around 30 times. Doubling this usage to approximately 60 times — as appears feasible — would cut the environmental impact in half," she explained.
In Sweden, textile sorting is managed by municipalities, several of which have faced an overwhelming volume of materials since the implementation of the new legislation.
In the thinly inhabited northern region, certain towns like Kiruna still burn textiles since these goods find no buyers.
Rapid-fashion behemoths like H&M and Zara are anticipated to ultimately take part in managing the waste they contribute to generating, with discussions currently underway at the European level to define their accountability.
As per an initial accord made by European Union countries in February, major apparel companies will bear responsibility for their products' entire lifecycle. They must cover costs associated with collecting, sorting, reusing, and recycling these items once sold.
Change of attitude
The concept aims to prompt quick-fashion companies to create "garments built for greater longevity," according to Augustsson.
The Swedish company H&M expressed to AFP their approval of the steps being taken in that direction.
Customers must also alter their way of thinking.
Beatrice Rindevall, who leads the Swedish Society for the Conservation of Nature and frequently hosts garment exchanges, suggested that each individual should “purchase no more than five new pieces of attire annually,” she stated.
On a bright spring day in the city of Linköping, a garment swap at a university campus showcased an array of items including a vibrant hot pink jacket adorned with feathery sleeves, along with worn-in denim pants, various handbags, and zebra-striped tees.
Volunteers like Eva Vollmer explained that people can donate clothing items still in good shape that they no longer use, and then trade them for different pieces.
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