EU fraud office blocks textile waste dumping

BRUSSELS — The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has helped uncover the large-scale trafficking of acrylic-rich textile waste from Italy to Turkey, leading to the seizure of almost 7,000 tonnes of material.

Working with Italy’s Carabinieri and Turkish customs authorities, OLAF identified suspicious shipments that had allegedly been misdeclared to avoid stricter and more costly recycling requirements for high-acrylic textile waste.