European textiles, the circular turn: from the Nordic countries to Spain and Croatia, projects and recycling on the rise

Hence the EU's idea for the production of sustainable and circular textiles. "Around 73 per cent of the clothing and home textiles consumed in Europe are produced and imported from countries outside the EU. In 2017, the EU produced 7.4 kilos of textiles per person and consumes almost 26 , making it a net importer. In particular, in 2019 the EU was one of the world's largest importers of clothing with a total value of EUR 80 billion," the Commission document reads. This is why the strategy promotes international collaboration to reduce negative environmental and social impacts.

Sustainability has also fully entered the Italian textile world. For this reason, and with a sustainable and circular perspective, several consortia have been established with the aim of promoting the circular economy 'by helping companies to comply with the rules'. The main ones include Cobat Tessile, Ecotessili, ERP Italia Tessile and Erion Textiles. These consortia deal with the collection and recovery of textile products that, after treatment, become raw materials again.

Precisely in this logic of transition, Confindustria Moda and Unicredit recently signed an agreement "to support companies in the textile and fashion supply chain in digitisation and sustainable transition, aimed at reducing environmental impact, with increasingly green production processes". Among other initiatives in the field, in Palermo, the creation of the fashion desk to accompany companies in the sustainable transition. The objective is to train companies in view of the entry into force, in January 2026, of the digital product passport, the tool that guarantees traceability, sustainability and transparency of the production chain through a Qr code.

In 2023, more than 54 thousand tonnes of textile and footwear waste were generated in Croatia, amounting to 14 kilos per capita. Of this, 23.7 per cent was collected separately, a share that is constantly growing compared to the 5.5 per cent recorded in 2010. Of the separated waste, the largest share - almost 40 per cent - concerns clothing and other household textiles.

According to data from the Ministry of Green Transition, 76 per cent of collected textile waste is recovered, either through energy (24 per cent), recycling (27 per cent) or preparation for reuse (25 per cent), while only 14 per cent ends up in landfills. 44 companies are currently processing textile waste at 57 sites in the country, with only one large recycler handling around 90 per cent of the materials recovered through R5 processes. In 2023, Croatia exported 3,400 tonnes of textile waste and imported 1,800 tonnes, reflecting a growing market.

The Ministry acknowledges that 'a large part of textiles and footwear continues to end up in undifferentiated waste', but emphasises 'the enormous potential for recovery and reuse that remains unexploited'.

There is no shortage of virtuous examples. The social cooperative Humana Nova, active in the recycling and re-employment of vulnerable people, collects used clothes through donations and street containers, reselling them in its shops or tailoring them to create new products. Some of the material is transformed into industrial rags or recycled felt. Another positive model is Regeneracija Zabok, a company that produces insulation and protective materials from recycled fabrics: it is now one of Europe's leading producers of protective sheeting for painting work.

At the same time, citizens' attention is also growing: clothes exchange events, organised by NGOs such as Green Action, and local online gift and reuse networks ('Sharing is caring') testify to an increasingly widespread environmental awareness.

Spain has included the strategy for sustainable textiles within the 'España Circular 2030' national plan and Law 7/2022 on waste, which introduces the extension of producer responsibility (EPR) for clothing and footwear. By the end of 2025, manufacturers will have to finance the collection, sorting and recycling of products placed on the market, in line with European directives.

The country is thus building a circular supply chain involving local authorities, businesses and associations. In parallel, a true 'second-hand clothing revolution' is taking hold, fuelled by social networks and specialised chains. The most emblematic case is that of Humana Fundación Pueblo para Pueblo, which in 2024 recovered more than 19 thousand tonnes of garments, equivalent to 77 million garments, 63% of which were reused and 28% sent for recycling.

The trend has also prompted major brands such as Inditex (Zara) to open up to the second-hand market, integrating reuse among their services to reduce environmental impact and intercept new consumer segments.

Spain's selective textile collection network now has hundreds of urban bins run by social organisations such as Cáritas and the Red Cross, while second-hand boutiques are multiplying, some 800 by 2025, half of them in the hands of non-profit organisations.

For the government, the textile transition is a strategic priority: 'The goal,' reads the España Circular plan, 'is to transform the entire textile cycle, from design to sales, into a sustainable and competitive model capable of reducing waste and creating new green jobs.

*This article is part of the European collaborative journalism project "Pulse"