From October the Swedes are no longer obliged to recycle clothing inside. The Swedish government announced this on Thursday. The reason for this is the overload of the textile collection points. The regulation contradicts an EU directive.
The decision comes into force on October 1st. Previously, the European Union had obliged the member states to introduce a separate textile recycling system in addition to the existing procedures for glass, paper and organic waste. The aim is to promote a circular economy. In it, textiles are to be sorted and reused or recycled as filling material, insulation or composite materials.
However, the recycling centers in Sweden and other countries have difficulty dealing with the resulting increase. “Since the beginning of the year, the amount of textile waste collected has increased considerably, and thus also the costs for sorting,” said the Swedish government in a message.
A new regulation will determine which textiles have to be sorted and which can be thrown directly into the trash. This includes, for example, broken socks, stained fabrics and excessively worn out clothing, Environment Minister Romina Purmokhtari told the press. Humana Sverige, an organization that collects and sells used clothing, told AFP on Thursday that “the amount of textiles we receive has increased drastically”.
The organization announced that it will close 600 of its 1,300 collection points to limit the influx. “It is impossible for us to cope with everything,” she said. The problem is not limited to Sweden. “Damaged clothing is sent to sorting centers in Europe, but the entire sector is overloaded on the basis of this regulation,” added Humana Sverige.
This article was used with digital tools translated.
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