Overview

• The January 2025 EU directive on separate textile collection has flooded bins with damaged and low-quality garments, sharply increasing sorting and disposal expenses for nonprofit collectors.
• Export markets in Eastern Europe have all but dried up since the Ukraine war, causing resale revenues to plunge and prompting some charities to remove donation containers this month.
• Average earnings per tonne of donated textiles have fallen below break-even thresholds, and several sorting firms have already declared insolvency, leaving nonprofits to absorb mounting losses.
• Industry leaders warn that if the collection network collapses, unsorted clothing will end up in landfills or incinerators, escalating environmental harm and shifting costs to municipalities.
• Charities are calling on lawmakers to grant fee exemptions and subsidies until the planned extended producer responsibility scheme for fashion brands takes effect in 2028.