Starting in April, some of Europe’s largest fashion companies will begin collecting discarded clothing as part of a voluntary pilot scheme aimed at managing textile waste, in anticipation of EU regulations set to take effect in 2026.
Participating brands, including Inditex (owner of Zara), H&M, Decathlon, Ikea, and Primark, are among ten companies involved in the initiative, named Re-viste. The project will focus on separating textiles and shoes from general waste to facilitate reuse and recycling.
Spain is currently awaiting final approval of EU regulations that will mandate member states to separate textiles from other waste. Marta Gomez, director of quality and environmental evaluation at Spain’s Ministry of Energy Transition, noted that the forthcoming rules will require fashion companies to bear the costs associated with managing textile waste.
The EU regulations are expected to be implemented in 2026, allowing companies at least a year to adapt. “The regulations show us the way, but we have decided not to wait to comply with the legal requirements,” stated Andres Fernandez, president of Re-viste and sustainability head at retailer Mango, which is also participating in the trial.
The new rules will likely mean that companies selling larger quantities of clothing and footwear will face increased waste management costs. Currently, only 12 percent of used clothes in Spain are collected separately, with the remaining 88 percent ending up in landfills. Each Spanish resident discards an average of 20 kilograms of clothing annually, compared to just seven kilograms across Europe.
Throughout the year-long trial, Re-viste aims to establish numerous collection points in churches, stores, shopping centers, and public spaces, where residents can deposit clothing in designated bags for sorting. Once the legislation is enacted, fashion companies project that Spain will require one textile waste container for every 1,200 residents.
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