EU produced 2.3 million tonnes of textile waste in 2024
Households were responsible for more than half of the waste; 63 per cent was treated.
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The European Union generated 2.3 million tonnes of textile waste in 2024. Eurostat reports that 1.4 million tonnes were treated, but treatment does not automatically mean that textiles were reused as clothing.
Household waste accounted for more than half of the total, according to Eurostat. The statistic covers textile waste from across the entire chain and measures how much waste was generated and processed in a year. The figure is therefore not a direct measure of individual Europeans’ clothing consumption.
Of the 1.4 million tonnes of treated textiles, 91 per cent fell under so-called recovery operations, according to Eurostat. Eurostat includes various forms of processing in this category. Recycling accounted for 78 per cent of treated waste and incineration with energy recovery for 13 per cent.
Show the figures
| Textile waste | |
|---|---|
| Italy | 441,736ton |
| France | 339,965ton |
| Germany | 212,107ton |
The figures therefore do not show that 78 per cent of all textile waste was processed into new clothing. The percentage relates to the treated amount and, according to Eurostat, also includes preparatory steps and other forms of processing.
Italy reported the largest amount of textile waste: 441,736 tonnes. France followed with 339,965 tonnes and Germany with 212,107 tonnes. Italy also recorded the largest amount of treated and recycled textiles, at 280,680 tonnes.
The share of recycled textiles was highest in Italy and France, both at 98 per cent, according to Eurostat. That share is based on data reported by the countries. In Latvia, the share was 0 per cent and in Estonia 5 per cent. For Romania, Eurostat used data from 2022; data for Sweden and Malta were confidential.
The figures were published during COP31 and primarily provide a picture of waste management, not the full climate impact of textiles. The figures alone do not give a complete picture of reuse, the lifespan of clothing or the possibility of reusing fibres. Eurostat itself cites methodological differences between countries and exceptions in the dataset.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The EU generated 2.3 million tonnes of textile waste in 2024.
- 1.4 million tonnes were treated.
- Eurostat includes several forms of processing under treatment.
- Households were responsible for more than half of the waste.
Left
Arguments Emphasises that production and consumption should generate less waste and that producers should be held responsible for design, repair and reuse.
Values Environmental protection, solidarity and corporate responsibility.
Consequences Fears that recycling figures obscure the underlying oversupply and environmental damage caused by fast fashion.
Centre
Arguments Wants better comparable data, more collection and gradual European rules that take account of what municipalities and businesses can implement.
Values Effectiveness, proportionality and institutional cooperation.
Consequences Emphasises that waste processing remains necessary while the EU works towards prevention and reuse.
Right
Arguments Stresses innovation, consumer choice and market incentives rather than broad bans or onerous obligations.
Values Entrepreneurship, affordability and freedom of choice.
Consequences Fears that additional rules will make clothing more expensive and make European producers less competitive.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures and methodological nuances come directly from the Eurostat publication. The text clearly distinguishes between waste treatment, recycling and reuse.
- confirmed The EU generated 2.3 million tonnes of textile waste in 2024. — Eurostat, publication of 12 November 2026. source
- confirmed 1.4 million tonnes were treated, 63 per cent of the total. — Eurostat gives both values and the share. source
- confirmed Recycling accounted for 78 per cent of the treated amount. — Eurostat specifies this among the treatment methods. source
- confirmed Italy reported 441,736 tonnes of textile waste. — Value from Eurostat’s comparison of countries. source
Editor's note
Eurostat published the figures on 12 November. The main caveat is that ‘treatment’ includes various forms of processing and is not equivalent to textile-to-textile recycling.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „textiel afval”
- NOS — „textiel afval”
- Het Parool — „textiel afval”