France proposes EU ban on exports of used clothes
Thursday March 14 2024
A pile of used plastic bottles at a dumpsite where second-hand clothes are discarded in Accra on Ghana, December 21, 2022. PHOTO | REUTERS
French Environment Ministry told Reuters on Thursday that Paris is proposing a European Union (EU) ban on exports of used clothes as governments look for new ways to tackle the worsening problem of textile waste.
UN trade data shows the EU exported 1.4 million metric tons of used textiles in 2022, more than twice as much as in 2000. The clothes can cause pollution in African countries where items that can't be resold end up in dumps, the EU has said.
In total, Europe produces 5.2 million tons of clothing and footwear waste every year, according to the European Commission.
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Along with Sweden and Denmark, who are backing the proposal, France is aiming for it to be discussed during an Environment Council meeting in Brussels on March 25, according to the Ministry, which blames a throwaway attitude to clothing on "fast-fashion" retailers who benefit from overconsumption.
"Africa must no longer be the dustbin of fast-fashion," France's Environment Ministry said in a statement to Reuters.
"We must reduce waste and manage our own waste."