The promise of recycling and reselling used clothing has become a popular marketing strategy among fashion retailers. However, a recent study by McKinsey reveals that the reality is far from the advertised claims. In Europe, less than one percent of discarded clothing is resold or recycled into new fashion items, despite the fact that at least 20 percent of textile waste could be used to create new clothing. Instead, over 65 percent of the 7.5 million tons of textile waste produced annually in Europe ends up in landfills or incinerators. The remaining textiles are collected and recycled, but mostly into low-grade products like cleaning rags.
The study highlights the need for consumers to rethink their consumption habits, as the average person in Europe generates over 15 kilograms of textile waste per year from clothing and home textiles. The authors of the study suggest that creating a textile circular economy in Europe would cost around seven billion euros, which would be necessary to establish recycling factories, collection, and sorting centers. According to McKinsey’s fashion expert, Karl-Hendrik Magnus, textile recycling could become a profitable industry, creating up to 15,000 new jobs in the next eight years. The industry’s estimated revenue could reach up to eight billion euros, with a high predicted return on investment of 25 percent.
The study’s findings reveal the gap between the fashion industry’s marketing claims and the reality of textile waste management. The authors urge consumers to take responsibility for their consumption habits and support the development of a circular economy for textiles. The potential economic benefits of textile recycling could provide a strong incentive for governments and businesses to invest in sustainable solutions for the fashion industry.
