New research from Eunomia reveals that 71% of tracked used textiles exported from the Nordic countries had their last recorded location in Europe, highlighting the central role of European sorting hubs in the global used-textiles trade. The findings also expose significant gaps in traceability beyond the first sorting stage, raising important questions about how the textile value chain can deliver circular outcomes as Europe introduces new requirements for waste exports and producer responsibility.
Funded by the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund (Handelens Miljøfond), the Nordic Council of Ministers, and Shape Foundation, Understanding Used and Waste Textiles Exports from the Nordics examines what happens to used and waste textiles collected in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden after export.
Combining trade data, stakeholder insights, and a major track-and-trace study, the research used 200 digital trackers placed in discarded clothing and followed their journeys over six months across 23 countries. The study provides one of the most detailed examinations to date of the international pathways followed by Nordic used textiles, offering insights beyond conventional trade statistics.
Understanding where exported textiles go
High labour costs mean Nordic countries typically export used textiles unsorted, principally to European countries with established sorting industries. Poland and Slovakia were the most frequently recorded European destinations in the tracking study, accounting for 30% and 18% of tracked items respectively.
While 71% of tracked items had their last recorded location in Europe, the research identified movements to Asia-Pacific (18%), Africa (9%), and the Middle East (3%). Little is known about final environmental outcomes once textiles move beyond Europe’s sorting hubs. Trade statistics show where exported textiles go first, not where they ultimately end up, and traceability declines significantly beyond the first sorting stage.
The findings also highlight differences in the pathways followed by garments of different quality grades. Lower-quality textiles are more likely to leave Europe: 56% of Grade D garments had a recorded endpoint outside Europe, compared with 24% of Grade A items.
Implications for Europe’s circular textile transition
These findings come at a time of significant change for the European textile sector. The EU is introducing measures to improve textile waste management and support a more circular textile value chain, including its Sustainable and Circular Textiles Strategy, revisions to the Waste Framework Directive, the Waste Shipment Regulation, and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).
The introduction of separate textile collection requirements and forthcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles will bring greater volumes of used textiles into the management system. However, the sector remains reliant on non-European markets, particularly for lower-grade textiles and recycling, while the increasing prevalence of lower-quality clothing presents further challenges for reuse and recovery.
What’s next?
The report identifies several priorities for improving the current textiles waste system, including stronger traceability and downstream accountability, higher textile quality, investment in domestic sorting and recycling infrastructure, more effective use of EPR to incentivise better product design, and greater support for reuse and repair markets.
Vita Ellis, Sustainability Consultant at Eunomia, said: “Europe is entering a new era of textile accountability. This new research shows that better traceability is becoming a business necessity, not just a regulatory requirement. But traceability alone will not create a circular textile system. As collection volumes increase and product quality declines, improving the quality and durability of textiles is becoming just as important as improving collection rates. Across Europe, we also need to address a fundamental infrastructure question: where will growing volumes of used textiles be sorted and reprocessed in the future?”
The full research findings and their implications for Europe’s circular textile transition were presented and discussed at an event in Brussels and a webinar that you can re-watch here.
Download the report here.
