THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF FAST FASHION AND TEXTILE INDUSTRY

The development of the fast fashion industry leading to ever-increasing production and consumption of low-quality apparel have a huge negative impact on the environment. People buy more clothes more often and millions of tons of garments end up in landfills all over the world each year.

Some types of garments need more than 50 years to decompose and emit methane gas while doing so, a well-known contributor to global warming.

Toxic substances leach into the soil and groundwater and become environmental hazards for years.

More than six million tonnes of clothing are consumed in the EU every year.

The estimated clothing disposed of in the residual waste in the EU is 4.3kg per capita on average.

It can take 2,700 liters to produce the cotton needed to make a single t-shirt.

Cotton producers apply 25% of all insecticides used each year.

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND IMPORTANCE OF TEXTILE RECYCLING AND SECOND HAND CLOTHING

The European Commission has adopted an ambitious new Circular Economy Package to help European businesses and consumers to make the transition to a stronger and more circular economy where resources are used in a more sustainable way.

The proposed actions will contribute to “closing the loop” of product lifecycles through greater re-use and recycling, and bring benefits for both the environment and the economy.

The plans will extract the maximum value and use from all raw materials, products and waste, fostering energy savings and reducing Green House Gas emission

circular economy is an alternative to a traditional linear economy (make, use, dispose) in which we are maintaining the value of products, materials and resources in the economy for as long as possible.

Used clothes and other textile waste is a valuable material that shouldn’t go to landfills.

Synchronized with European circular economy strategy and waste management policies recovering this kind of wastes is a top priority.

OUR COMMITMENT FOR EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF TEXTILE WASTE

The core of our business activities embodies the essence of circularity.

Eurotex emphasizes on effective management of textile waste in compliance with the Waste Framework Directive (Directive 2008/98/EC) and delivers circular solutions for the fashion industry on the most critical and preferred levels: preparation for re-use and recycling.

PREPARATION FOR RE-USE

The expertise of Eurotex is the meticulous classification of each piece of clothing in order to determine the best possible way of utilization, extending its lifecycle and keeping it away from landfills.

All used garments undergo a two-stage process of classification that determines the eligibility for re-use and the quality grade.

This is manual heavy labor where our experienced professionals examine each item according to strict sorting and grading procedures.

TEXTILE RECYCLING

The clothing classified as not fit for re-use goes through a series of manipulations to be prepared for recycling in the most suitable way. These operations include sorting by color and material, removing buttons, zippers, and other hard elements.

Together with our recycling partners, we make sure, that the textile waste is put to proper use and utilized as a valuable resource.

Cotton clothing with good absorbency is cut into recycled cleaning wipers with industrial application;

Wool clothing is prepared for extracting wool fibers later used for the making of woolen relief and military blankets;

Denim and various other textiles are treated for shredding and utilized for production of felt waddings for thermal and sound insulation as well as furniture fillings.

ENERGY RECOVERY

Preparation and handing the non-reusable and non-recyclable textiles to be utilized as an alternative fuel (RDF) for energy generation.

All recycling and textile utilization partners of Eurotex are licensed companies, selected and contracted according to the most effective and environmentally friendly treatment of the waste.