This could mean that if the EU were to adopt the idea, manufacturers and importers of everything from shirts to tablecloths would have to contribute in some way to the recovery and recycling of the products when they are finished with.
A number of factors have come together to prompt the textile recycling trade associations in the UK, France and Germany to seek the meeting in Brussels which was originally due to have been held in September but has been delayed until late November.
Double whammy
The factors include competition for used clothing in the form of cheap new clothing, often made in China, which is being sold in export markets. And, in a double whammy, recyclers say that many of the clothes sold at cheap prices, particularly in supermarkets, are of low quality and are often thrown out by the owner within a year. Because of the poor quality they have little value.
The textile recyclers also say that their work is of benefit to the environment. Frithjof Schepke of German textile recycle Schepke Konzepte, who is president of the textile board of the Bureau of International Recycling, said:
” large volumes of water – estimated at 16,000 litres per kilogramme – are used in the cotton making process “
– BIR textiles president – Frithjof Schepke “The world has to be clothed. Africa will double its population every 25 years.”
He said that the authorities should take notice of the fact that large volumes of water – estimated at 16,000 litres per kilogramme – are used in the cotton making process and water will “become more important than oil in the future. We cannot spend our resources, water, oil and textiles as in the past. The textile recycling industry recovers all textiles either as second hand clothing or as secondary raw materials. Until now, the recycling industry has provided this service without a cost to the public.”
Mr Schepke continued: “In future there is no way for textile recycling because the balanced of have a value and the cost of recycling materials does not exist. The generally market value of all recovered textiles has decreased considerably.”
The president called for “immediate political support, recognition and world-wide free trade. We are looking for discussions with governments, the textile producing and importing industry to create a acceptable future for textiles recycling.”
WRAP
Within the UK, Terry Ralph, president of the Textile Recyclers Association, said that he felt the time had come for the Waste and Resources Action Programme to take an interest in textile recycling. “I would urge the Department for Environment to consider widening the brief of WRAP to include textiles.”
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