From January 1, 2025, all European Union member states are required to separately collect textile products for reuse and recycling, under the EU’s waste framework directive.
The scale of the problem is significant. Each year, the EU generates nearly 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste. Clothing and footwear alone account for around 5.2 million tonnes, while textile consumption continues to rise across the bloc.
In 2019, average textile consumption stood at 17 kilograms per person, rising to 19 kilograms in 2022, roughly the equivalent of a large suitcase of clothes. At the same time, 12 kilograms of clothing per person are discarded annually.
The challenge is global. According to the European Commission, less than 1 percent of textiles worldwide are recycled into new textile products.
New EU legislation
In July 2023, the European Commission proposed a revision of EU waste rules, explicitly including textile waste. In September 2025, the European Parliament approved new measures aimed at preventing and reducing textile waste across the EU.
Under the revised framework, producers placing textile products on the EU market will be required to cover the cost of collection, sorting and recycling through extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems.
Each member state must establish such systems within 30 months of the directive entering into force. The rules apply to all producers, including online retailers, whether they are based inside or outside the EU.
Micro-enterprises will be granted an additional year to comply. The measures cover products such as clothing and accessories, footwear, blankets, bed linen, tablecloths and curtains. At the initiative of the European Parliament, member states may also extend EPR schemes to mattress producers.
When calculating producer contributions, member states are expected to take into account ultra-fast fashion and fast fashion practices, reflecting their disproportionate environmental impact.
The case of Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, separate textile collection is already expanding. According to the Bulgarian Association for Circular Textiles, more than 8,000 tonnes of textile waste were collected separately in 2024, including industrial textile waste.
This marks a clear increase from approximately 6,500 tonnes in 2023, indicating rising public participation, executive director Sirma Zheleva told the Bulgarian News Agency.
At least 70 percent of textiles collected via dedicated containers are typically prepared for reuse or recycling, with reuse remaining the priority due to its higher environmental value. Preliminary data for 2025 show that over 6,000 tonnes had already been collected by the end of September, suggesting continued public engagement.
However, Zheleva noted the absence of a clear legislative framework defining responsibilities, funding mechanisms and the long-term sustainability of collection systems. At present, these schemes rely on voluntary partnerships between textile companies and individual municipalities, without nationwide coverage or guaranteed long-term financing.
What lies ahead
In Bulgaria, the legal obligation for separate textile collection is included in a draft bill amending the waste management law, prepared by the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water and submitted to parliament.
While separate collection has not yet been fully implemented as a mandatory national system, it is already operating in many municipalities through voluntary programmes and pilot projects.
Detailed responsibilities will be set out through secondary legislation, in line with Directive (EU) 2025/1898, which amends the EU waste framework directive. Member states must transpose the directive into national law by June 17, 2027.
The new rules introduce eco-modulation of producer fees, adjusting charges based on the durability and environmental performance of textile products. According to the Bulgarian environment ministry, fees will vary depending on whether products are easier to recycle, contain recycled materials, are durable and repairable, are produced through environmentally friendly processes, include hazardous chemicals or use mixed fibres that complicate recycling.
The ecodesign regulation
In 2024, the European Parliament approved the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which sets product design requirements aimed at minimising environmental impact throughout a product’s life cycle.
The regulation applies to multiple sectors, including fashion, and introduces minimum standards for durability, repairability, energy efficiency and recyclability.
It also requires large companies to report annually on unsold goods destroyed, including reasons for doing so. From 2026, the destruction of unsold clothing, footwear and accessories will be banned across the EU.
Improving the durability of fashion products forms part of the EU’s broader strategy to transition to a circular economy by 2050.
Source: CNA