Bad data may unravel textile circularity networks

International proposals to reclassify used textiles as waste and restrict their cross-border movement are based on questionable data and could “unravel the whole system” of global textile circularity, a senior representative of a respected industry body has warned.

Jessica Franken, VP of government and external affairs at SMART, the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association, fears that ongoing discussions at the United Nations Environment Programme and the Basel Convention risk undermining the very Extended Producer Responsibility systems they aim to support.