Turning Old Into New? The Fashion World Presents Itself as Sustainable - But Real Recycling Remains a PR Fairytale

by Antonia Pink

Recycled. Sustainable. Environmentally friendly - these are the buzzwords the fashion industry uses today to gain the trust of its customers. Advertisements show smiling models in clothes "made from old textiles," websites promise a "second chance" for our old clothes and major fashion brands present collection boxes as a contribution to climate protection. The message is clear: if you hand in your old clothes, you are doing something good - for the environment, for future generations, for a clear conscience. But this image is an illusion. In reality, only about 1% of the old clothes collected in the EU is actually recycled into new clothing (Europäisches Parlament 2020). The rest is downcycled, incinerated, exported or ends up in landfills. What is being sold to us as a sustainable cycle is nothing more than clever greenwashing - with a system.

The question must therefore be asked: what is the reason for this wrong perception? The public is subjected to an overwhelming number of sustainable campaigns. While these campaigns are pervasive, there is little time to question the veracity of the information being conveyed. The penetrating presence of sustainability campaigns, supposedly promoting practices such as recycling, has led to a societal perception that good things are being done for the environment all the time. And if you then buy something from these seemingly sustainable campaigns or donate your old clothes to big brands, the feeling of collective responsibility is reinforced by the perception that each individual makes a significant contribution to ecological sustainability.

Digital Design with Recycling Logo, by Antonia Pink

However, a pertinent question arises concerning the fate of these textiles once they have been collected. On average, Europeans purchase approximately 26 kilograms of clothing per person per year. Of this total, approximately 11 kilograms are discarded. As previously stated, a mere 1% (or even a smaller percentage) of these discarded garments ultimately find their way back into circulation as new garments (Europäisches Parlament 2020).

Approximately 12% of the total are subjected to downcycling, a process by which they are transformed into products of lesser value. These include, for example, filling materials for mattresses or wipes. The remaining 87% of textiles are considered waste. This encompasses almost all discarded garments (De Groote 2021).

So, why do most of these brands lie rather than actually recycle? The textile processing industry is characterized by a high degree of complexity and significant financial expense. The existing technologies are not yet adequate to the extent that they could facilitate the automated sorting of garments. Another obstacle to recycling is the presence of mixed fibres. The presence of diverse fibre types complicates the process of recycling, as it becomes difficult, and in some cases impossible, to transform the old fibres into new fibres. The majority of garments are made up of mixed fibres, such as polyester and cotton. Consequently, a significant proportion of textiles are destined for incineration post-sortation (Grass 2025).

Digital Design with Recycling Logo, by Antonia Pink

This finding stands in contrast to the statements made by large fast fashion chains. These companies collect large quantities of clothing and claim that their recycling is successful. However, it is important to recognize the complexity inherent in textile recycling, particularly in the context of large-scale applications. The recycling of large quantities of low-quality clothing poses significant challenges. Consequently, the credibility of such campaigns should be called into question (De Groote 2021).

The efficacy of future recycling initiatives remains to be seen, but for now we need to be very aware of the lies the industry is telling us. It is not necessary to believe and accept everything we see. The most sustainable approach remains to consume less, and if one does consume, it is imperative to critically evaluate the veracity of the information provided by companies regarding their products and supply chains.

Bibliography

De Groote, Amber. "How does textile recycling work?" COSH 27 August 2021. https://cosh.eco/de/artikel/how-to-recycle-second-hand-clothing.

Europäisches Parlament. "Umweltauswirkungen von Textilproduktion und -abfällen (Infografik)." EUROPARL 29 December 2020.  https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/de/article/20201208STO93327/umweltauswirkungen-von-textilproduktion-und-abfallen-infografik.

Grass, Karen. "Neue EU-Vorgabe gegen Textilmüll:Altkleider richtig entsorgen." ZDF. 3 January 2025. https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/ratgeber/eu-richtlinien-altkleider-richtig-entsorgen-recycling-100.html.

BIO: Antonia Pink is a 23-year-old student from Germany who completed her Bachelor's degree in Fashion Design (with a focus on virtual fashion) and is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Fashion Management (at AMD). Her BA thesis focused on the relationship between the food and fashion industries and how the waste from both industries could be used to benefit each other in the form of recycling, etc. This article is intended to provide a brief overview of the recycling industry's current state of affairs.