Spain’s top 10 fashion retailers, including Zara owner Inditex, H&M, Decathlon, Ikea and Primark, will begin collecting discarded clothes and shoes in April next year as part of a voluntary pilot program called Re-viste, aiming to manage textile waste ahead of new EU regulations set to take effect in 2026.
As part of this project, numerous containers will be placed in churches, stores, shopping malls and streets throughout Spain. Textiles and shoes that will be left at these points will be separated from other waste. According to official data, only 12% of used clothing in Spain is currently collected separately and recycled, while 88% becomes waste. The Re-viste project aims to increase the reuse or recycling rate of discarded clothes. During the trial, which will last for one year, companies will also undertake the costs of managing textile waste.
The pilot program predicts that once EU regulations take effect, Spain will need one textile waste container for every 1,200 residents. According to the calculations, each person living in Spain throws away around 20 kilos of clothing per year, almost three times the European average of seven kilos.
The voluntary participation of known brands in this project reminded the ‘green washing’ allegations that were previously brought to the agenda. Following the accusations directed at these brands, it is also demanded that the results of the Re-Viste project be followed transparently.
According to the project, after textile products are collected, they will be transported to separation facilities where they will be evaluated according to the waste hierarchy principle. Products in good condition will be offered for sale in second-hand stores. Those that are not suitable for reuse will be separated into their components (such as cotton or polyester) in order to be transformed into new textile products.
Best sellers will pay more waste management costs
“The regulations show us the way, but we have decided not to wait to comply with the legal requirements,” said Andres Fernandez, president of Re-viste and sustainability manager at Mango.
“The system we are creating will not only facilitate textile management, but also promote a sustainable model that involves all actors in the value chain,” stated Re-viste CEO Juan Ramón Melénde.
Marta Gomez, director of quality and environmental assessment at Spain’s Energy Transition Ministry, said in a statement that they are waiting for final approval of new EU regulations that will require member states to separate textiles from other waste before imposing rules on fashion companies that will cover the cost of managing textile waste. Government officials and fashion industry experts say the new EU regulation will not come into force before 2026, giving companies at least a year to comply.
Under the rules that come into force, companies that sell more clothes and shoes will have to pay more for waste management.
