EU to roll out textile bins in 2025 to cut clothing waste

This initiative could be a significant turning point. The European Union has launched a campaign to promote textile recycling. In less than three months, from January 2025, municipalities will be required to provide clothing containers. Statistics, cited by sources such as wprost.pl, reveal that the average EU resident purchases approximately 57 pounds of new clothes annually and discards 24 pounds of used clothing. This represents a considerable waste, which the European Union seeks to address.

The European Parliament has underscored the immense environmental impact of the clothing industry.

"Textile production demands significant amounts of water and land for growing cotton and other fibres. It is estimated that producing a single T-shirt uses 594 gallons of freshwater, which is enough for one person for 2.5 years," read the European Parliament materials.

The new containers are designed to make clothing recycling more accessible, encouraging the environmentally conscious disposal of unwanted clothes or textiles. The introduction of textile containers aims to reduce waste and motivate people to declutter their wardrobes regularly.

However, the introduction of new clothing containers is not the only change on the horizon. From next year, 2025, renovation companies will need to be more diligent about waste segregation. The European Union is implementing mandatory separation of plaster, glass, wood, plastic, and metal waste, along with stone and ceramic materials. These regulations will extend to the entire construction industry, including developers.

If our wardrobes and drawers are overflowing and the clothes are too worn to sell or pass on, we can visit PSZOK points, which are Selective Waste Collection Points. Unfortunately, this option is not widely used. Additionally, we can donate clothes to charities and non-profit organisations that organise collections.