Across the European Union in 2024, roughly 2.3 million tonnes of clothing and household textiles were discarded, and more than half of that weight came from ordinary homes, a reminder of how much of our wardrobes eventually returns to the waste stream. About 63 per cent of it was actually processed, and most of what was processed was given a second life through recovery, though the bloc's record is far from uniform. Some nations recycle nearly everything they collect while others recycle almost nothing, and that gap, more than the total itself, is the thread policymakers will be asked to expla
EU Generated 2.3 Million Tonnes of Textile Waste in 2024; 63% Treated, Mostly Recovered
From 98 per cent in Italy and France to nothing in Latvia
Mark
Start with the headline number. 2.3 million tonnes, and 63 per cent treated. What does that leave?
Mimi
About 37 per cent that isn't shown as treated in these figures. The release gives the treated share but doesn't say what happened to the rest.
Luke
Careful there. The source doesn't say the rest was dumped. It only says it wasn't recorded as treated. That's a gap in the data, not a confirmed outcome.
Mark
And the recovery figure, 91 per cent, sounds impressive.
Mimi
It is, but it's 91 per cent of the treated portion, not of all waste. Recycling is 78 per cent of treated, with 13 per cent burned for energy.
Luke
Right, so the denominators matter. Those percentages describe the 1.4 million tonnes, not the 2.3 million.
Mark
Why is Italy at the top for both generation and treatment?
Mimi
It generated 441,736 tonnes and treated 280,680. France is next. Germany treated almost all it generated, 207,156 of 212,107 tonnes.
Luke
Though the release doesn't explain why. Size, collection systems, reporting methods could all play a part, and none of that is in the data.
Mark
What about the zeros?
Mimi
Latvia reports 0 per cent recycling. Cyprus, Ireland and Luxembourg report 0 per cent treatment.
Luke
Those could reflect real absence or reporting issues. Romania's number is from 2022, and Sweden and Malta are confidential. I'd not read too much into any single country.
El Pulso
- Some 2.3 million tonnes of textile waste landed in the EU in 2024, and over half of it was tossed out by households.
- More than a third of all discarded textiles were never recorded as treated, leaving a sizeable blind spot in the bloc's figures.
- Italy and France recycle 98 per cent of their textile waste, setting a benchmark that most member states are still chasing.
- Latvia reports zero textile recycling and several countries show zero treatment, exposing sharp national policy gaps.
- Eurostat's numbers are likely to put national governments under pressure to explain why their performance trails so far behind.
Across the European Union in 2024, roughly 2.3 million tonnes of clothing and household textiles were discarded, and more than half of that weight came from ordinary homes, a reminder of how much of our wardrobes eventually returns to the waste stream. About 63 per cent of it was actually processed, and most of what was processed was given a second life through recovery, though the bloc's record is far from uniform. Some nations recycle nearly everything they collect while others recycle almost nothing, and that gap, more than the total itself, is the thread policymakers will be asked to explain.
The European Union generated 2.3 million tonnes of textile waste in 2024, and more than half of it was thrown away by households. Of that mass, the bloc treated 1.4 million tonnes, or 63 per cent, according to figures released by Eurostat. Most of the treated material was recovered rather than buried or burned without capturing energy, with 78 per cent going to recycling.
National results tell a far more uneven story. Italy produced the most waste and treated the most, while France came close behind, and both reported recycling 98 per cent of their textile waste. Latvia, by contrast, recorded no textile recycling at all, and Estonia reported just 5 per cent. Some countries, including Cyprus, Ireland and Luxembourg, reported no treatment whatsoever, and data for Sweden and Malta remained confidential.
The overall picture is one of a bloc making real progress on what it does handle, yet still failing to account for over a third of what it generates. Where a garment ends up depends heavily on the country where it is discarded, and that disparity is likely to draw scrutiny from national policymakers in the months ahead.
The European Union produced 2.3 million tonnes of textile waste in 2024, and more than half of it came from households, according to figures released by Eurostat, the EU's statistical office. Of that total, the bloc treated 1.4 million tonnes, which works out to 63 per cent of everything generated that year.
The country-level numbers show where the weight sits. Italy was the largest producer, generating 441,736 tonnes, and it also treated the most, at 280,680 tonnes. France came second, with 339,965 tonnes generated and 258,129 tonnes treated. Germany generated 212,107 tonnes and treated 207,156 tonnes, a much narrower gap between what it produced and what it processed than Italy or France recorded.
How the treated textiles were handled is where the data lean most clearly toward recovery. Across the EU, 91 per cent of treated textile waste went through recovery operations. Recycling alone accounted for 78 per cent of the treated total, and incineration with energy recovery made up another 13 per cent. Landfilling took 8 per cent, while incineration without energy recovery accounted for just 1 per cent.
Behind those averages, national performance diverges sharply. Italy and France each reported that 98 per cent of their textile waste was recycled. Lithuania followed at 87 per cent and Slovenia at 83 per cent. At the other end, Latvia reported no textile recycling at all, or 0 per cent. Estonia stood at 5 per cent and Romania at 23 per cent, though Romania's figure rests on 2022 data rather than 2024.
Some countries had gaps of a different kind. Cyprus, Ireland and Luxembourg each reported 0 per cent waste treatment. Data for Sweden and Malta were confidential, so they cannot be placed in the comparison.
Taken together, the release describes a bloc in which most textile waste that gets treated is recovered rather than buried or burned without energy capture, but in which more than a third of what is generated is not accounted for as treated, and in which recycling performance depends heavily on where the garment is thrown away. The spread between 98 per cent in Italy and France and nothing in Latvia is the clearest sign of that unevenness, and it is likely to be the figure national policymakers are asked about next.
Citas Notables
Italy and France each reported recycling 98 per cent of their textile waste, while Latvia reported 0 per cent.— Eurostat press release, as reported by Fibre2Fashion
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