India & Europe Push Circular Economy to Cut Textile Waste

Policies to Reduce Textile Waste

The video reports on new policies in Europe and India aimed at reducing textile waste and advancing a circular economy.

European Union

From February 9, 2026, the European Commission will prohibit the destruction of unsold clothing, accessories, and footwear under measures linked to the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). Destruction will be allowed only in defined circumstances, such as when goods are damaged or pose safety concerns.

Businesses must disclose information about unsold goods they discard. They are also encouraged to improve inventory management and use alternatives such as resale, donation, reuse, and recycling.

The video cites the following figures:

• An estimated 4–9% of unsold textiles in Europe are destroyed before being worn, generating about 5.6 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
• France discards an estimated $748 million worth of unsold goods each year.
• Nearly 24 million returned units are thrown away in Germany.

India

Amendments to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, take effect on April 1, 2026, bringing circular-economy principles into waste sorting and management.

The rules require households to separate waste at the source into four streams:

1. Wet waste
2. Dry waste
3. Sanitary and hygienic waste
4. Waste requiring special handling

The amendments also define refuse-derived fuel (RDF), which is made from dried and ground high-calorie municipal waste for industrial use.

India’s Textile-Waste Challenge

India’s textile and related sectors are valued at $179 billion, contribute 2% of the country’s GDP, and account for 8.63% of its exports. The video cites research describing textiles as India’s third-largest source of dry solid waste after plastics.

According to the video, only 34% of textile waste is reused, while 25% is processed into yarn, much of it below global quality standards. The remainder is incinerated, downcycled, or sent to landfills.

Discarded textiles make up 51% of textile waste and are especially difficult to manage because collection and sorting are challenging.

Key Takeaway

The video presents the policy changes in Europe and India as steps toward reducing waste, emissions, and pollution. It also notes that effective sorting and better textile-waste management remain important challenges.

Presenters and Contributors

No presenters or contributors are named in the subtitles.