Management of textile waste in Europe: An environmental and a socio-economic assessment of current and future scenarios

Abstract

Textile production and consumption continues to grow, and yet textile waste management in Europe remains suboptimal. This study assesses and compares the life cycle impacts of managing selected textile waste fractions via selected technologies, under current and future framework conditions. The study combines environmental and socio-economic analyses with data input from stakeholder consultation within the European Union. Preparing for reuse is the most beneficial management pathway from both an environmental and a socio-economic perspective. Overall, mechanical recycling is the second-most preferred pathway for most environmental impact categories. However, for recycling pathways to be economically competitive against incineration, either CO2 prices will have to increase, or technology and processing costs will have to decrease. The uncertainty analysis identified critical parameters, such as substitution factors and yields of most desirable products from the recycling processes. The results offer a detailed basis for prioritising technology pathways for future textile waste management in Europe.