Refashion Day - Pascal Boniface
01:55
What happens to my textiles and footwear once I've dropped them off at a collection point?
"After you drop off your clothes, household linen, and shoes at an approved collection point (such as a street container, an association’s branch, a shop or a special collection event), they are transported to a sorting centre. Most of them are part of the social and solidarity economy. This is where the future of your clothes is decided. Nearly 60% of the items sorted can be reused as they are and are resold in second-hand or charity shops in France, Europe, or internationally, depending on market demand.
The remaining 40% are clothes or shoes that are too worn, damaged or unsuitable for the second-hand market. These items are repurposed in other ways: they are recycled into building insulation, cut into cleaning rags, or converted into new textile fibres. In addition, 8% are converted into energy, while only a tiny fraction (0.15%) incinerated without recovery (see graph below).
Our key figures
188 000
tonnes of textiles and shoes sorted for reuse, recycling or other forms of recovery
60 %
of these items are generally reusable as they are
90 %
of reusable items are exported abroad for second-hand resale
Why are used clothes and shoes sent abroad?
Today, 90% of textiles and shoes sorted by professionals and deemed reusable are sold on the international second-hand market. This export primarily responds to a strong demand in the destination countries: for example, the global demand for second-hand clothing stands at 5 million tonnes per year (figures and flow analyses can be downloaded here). The export of some of the clothing and shoes collected in France reflects the dynamics of an open market where supply and demand for second-hand products meet. Second-hand trade is in line with the hierarchy of waste management methods. In other words, reuse should always be given priority.
The international sale of second-hand clothing allows collection and sorting operators to diversify their sources of income and strengthen their business model. In fact, the French second-hand market is not big enough to absorb all the clothes and shoes identified as reusable.
In addition, there are not yet enough industrial textile recycling solutions in France to convert used textiles and shoes into new materials. However, the sector is now developing to allow for increased recycling of these textiles in France or elsewhere in Europe.
How do I know if the used clothes and shoes I drop off at a collection point will be sent abroad?
Today, when you drop off your clothes and shoes at a collection point, you cannot know their final destination. However, if you drop them off at one of the 47,000 collection points registered with Refashion, you can be assured that your items will be sorted by professionals and sorted according to the methods outlined in the Environmental Code: reused whenever possible, otherwise recycled or converted into energy.
Are there any solutions in France for recycling our used clothes and shoes?
Historically, the used clothing and footwear recycling sector in France has suffered from a lack of investment and today it is not sufficiently developed to handle the amount of textile waste collected each year. New technical solutions are emerging to improve sorting and meet the needs of recyclers and integrators.
However, certain product characteristics, which are considered to be barriers to recycling, remain a major obstacle. To learn more, check out our study.
Nevertheless, many initiatives are beginning to take shape, some of which are supported by Refashion. These solutions should be further developed in the coming years to contribute to industrial sovereignty.
True/False
Can only clothes in good condition be dropped off?
Vrai et Faux.
The second life of textiles and footwear begins with the collection of all damaged or reusable clothing, household linen and footwear. These can be reused or recycled. Once dropped off, the items are sorted by professionals so that they can be oriented to the most appropriate outlet: reusable items in the second-hand market, damaged items in the recycling sector, or items destined for energy recovery.
Only 0.5% of textiles and footwear dropped off at approved collection points are incinerated. Conversely, 100% of what is thrown away in household waste is incinerated. And yet, for environmental reasons, nothing should be incinerated without recovery!
It is precisely damaged clothing that can be turned into new material.
True/False
Is reducing consumption the only way to reduce waste?
Vrai et Faux.
In addition to encouraging consumers to consume more sparingly and responsibly, we urgently need to use all the levers at our disposal to reduce the amount of waste. This includes:
1. Extending the life of textiles through ecodesign and more responsible production by brands and manufacturers.
2. Developing repair and reuse within our borders.
3. Creating an efficient French and European recycling industry. This is the principle of the circular economy, which is everyone's business.
True/False
Most textiles are exported internationally.
Vrai et Faux.
After sorting, more than 50% of textiles and shoes are considered to be reusable in their current state and are therefore destined for the second-hand market, mainly for export, including to Africa, a major buyer of second-hand goods. It is the sorting operators who maintain commercial relations with traders and wholesalers in this open, international second-hand market. Most of these operators are part of the social and solidarity economy and use this model to finance their social work.
Around 1/3 of the quantities collected are considered too damaged and are recycled, for example into rags or insulation material.
Traceability of the downstream chain is an important issue for targeting efforts and improving reuse practices internationally.
True/False
Are exported garments of poor quality?
Vrai et Faux.
The issue is complex due to the number of intermediaries in an open and competitive international market driven by supply and demand. The end-of-life phase of textiles — long an overlooked aspect of the industry — must continue to improve.
However, not everything "ends up on the beaches of Ghana" or is in poor condition, although certain abuses do exist. The devastating images of piles of textiles and shoes on African shores should not discourage collection efforts, but rather spur us to tackle the problem in all its dimensions.
And this is a shared responsibility. We want — and need — to play our part, alongside public authorities, brands, collection and sorting operators and consumers, to help transform existing models of production, consumption and waste recovery.
True/False
Most textiles are not recycled
Vrai et Faux.
Textiles and footwear collected at the 47,400 approved collection points are sorted in sorting centres so that they can be sent to the best possible reuse or recycling channel, regardless of their condition. What is considered waste unsuitable for reuse can have a second life in the recycling sector.
No clothes or shoes should end up in household waste, including socks and briefs with holes in them. The conversion of used textiles and shoes into building insulation or plastics is now highly efficient, with significant volumes processed.
A long journey... starting with me!
The first essential step in giving textiles a second life starts with you! Unfortunately, when your clothes, household linen and footwear end up in the domestic waste bin, they are doomed to be incinerated without any form of recovery. And why is that? Because the household waste system sends them straight to incineration or landfill, without reuse.
But if you drop them off at a collection point, their future is brighter (!): they will be handled by approved operators who will follow the waste treatment processes defined in the Environmental Code — giving priority to reuse, recycling where possible, energy recovery where necessary, and incineration only as a last resort.
But if you drop them off at a collection point, their future is brighter (!): they will be handled by approved operators who will follow the waste treatment processes defined in the Environmental Code — giving priority to reuse, recycling where possible, energy recovery where necessary, and incineration only as a last resort.
