From Collection to Recycling: The Journey of a Textile Across Europe

Up until now, we have explored why collection and sorting are among the biggest challenges in textile recycling. But what actually happens after a textile leaves your wardrobe? Contrary to what many imagine, there is no single "recycling plant" waiting at the end of the journey. Instead, every garment becomes part of a complex network of collectors, sorting centres, transport operators, recyclers, manufacturers, and other actors - and may cross several borders before finding its next purpose.

Since January 2025, all EU Member States have been required to establish systems for the separate collection of textiles. The scale of the challenge is significant: in 2022, the EU generated around 6.94 million tonnes of textile waste, but only just under 15% of household textile waste was captured through separate collection. The remaining 85% ended up in mixed household waste, where it is much harder to reuse or recycle.

What happens after collection varies considerably between countries. Some have developed substantial domestic sorting and recycling capacity, while others rely more heavily on cross-border shipments for sorting, reuse, or further processing. Rather than one European recycling system, Europe is developing a network of national and regional systems that increasingly interact across borders.

Once collected, textiles rarely travel directly to a recycling facility. They first pass through sorting centres, where every item is assessed. Is it suitable for reuse? Can it be recycled into new fibres? Would it be better used in nonwoven materials? Or has it reached the end of its useful life? The answer determines not only the most appropriate processing technology, but often where the textile will travel next.

Different regions have developed expertise in different parts of this system. The Netherlands and Poland, for example, have developed substantial textile sorting capacity, with the European Environment Agency estimating annual capacities of around 200,000 tonnes and 300,000 tonnes respectively. Italy has a long-established textile recycling industry, while other European regions are investing in automated sorting and fibre-identification technologies. At the same time, countries in Central and Eastern Europe, including the Baltic region, are expanding separate collection and exploring how to develop more regional processing capacity.

This movement of textiles across Europe is not accidental. Recycling facilities are often highly specialised, and no single country currently has the technology and capacity to process every type of textile waste domestically. Materials can therefore be directed to the facilities best equipped to handle them - whether that means preparing garments for reuse, mechanically recycling cotton-rich textiles, chemically processing synthetic fibres, or producing nonwoven materials for industrial applications.

Recent enforcement activity illustrates why the destination matters. In June 2026, EU authorities identified around 4,200 tonnes of textile waste shipped from Italy to Türkiye in a case involving mislabelled shipments of textiles containing a high proportion of acrylic fibres. The authorities investigated whether the receiving facilities had the appropriate technology and permits to handle the material. The case highlights a simple but important reality: textile waste cannot simply be sent wherever there is available capacity - its composition needs to match the capabilities of the facility receiving it.

The rules governing these movements are also evolving. In May 2026, the revised EU Waste Shipment Regulation entered into application, together with the new Digital Waste Shipment System (DIWASS). The system is designed to make cross-border waste movements more transparent by replacing paper-based procedures with digital documentation and tracking. For a textile recycling system increasingly dependent on movement between specialised facilities, better traceability can help make these flows more controlled and accountable.

A connected European network has clear advantages. Different regions can specialise, share expertise, and direct materials towards the technologies best suited to process them. At the same time, transporting textiles across long distances comes with economic and environmental costs. As recycling technologies mature, many regions therefore have an opportunity to develop more local collection, sorting, and processing capacity - reducing unnecessary transport while keeping valuable materials closer to where they are generated.

At RMP, we believe the future of textile recycling lies in combining the strengths of European cooperation with the benefits of regional circularity. Europe's specialised recycling network can help regions access technologies and expertise they may not have locally, while stronger regional infrastructure can reduce transport, improve resource efficiency, and create new local opportunities. For the Baltic region, this means building the capacity to keep more materials - and more value - closer to home, while remaining connected to Europe's wider recycling network.