Market survey on second-hand clothes

Second hand is sustainability in a nutshell. Law makers are increasingly aware of this and promoting re-use is now on the agenda both in the EU and in the EU Member States and at local level.

The waste hierarchy adopted many years ago gives priority to re-use over recycling, and the EU waste rules of 2018 make separate collection of textiles mandatory in all EU Member States from 2025. Both the EU Green Deal (2019) and the EU Circular Economy Action Plan (2020) focus on textiles. In 2021, the EU is set to adopt an EU Textiles Strategy. EU Member States are adapting national laws to EU rules.

SECOND HAND COUNTS is a market survey on second-hand clothes in the EU. It aims to provide facts needed for decision making on second-hand clothes both in general and on a country by country basis for all EU countries plus the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland.

Get involved! The survey is an ongoing project. Click here to contribute.