EU Study Reveals Complex Journeys of Second-Hand Clothes from Nordic Countries to African Markets
A recent six-month study conducted by Eunomia and Mepex tracked 200 discarded garments from five Nordic countries, revealing the extensive and often opaque international journeys of second-hand clothes. The research found that items collected in Denmark and Norway, for instance, traveled through multiple European countries like Poland and Lithuania before reaching destinations such as Nigeria and Togo. This study offers a detailed look into a largely unregulated global trade, coinciding with the European Union's efforts to introduce new regulations aimed at enhancing textile collection, reuse, and recycling. The findings indicate that while textile exports play a role in extending garment lifespans, there are significant challenges related to the quality of clothes being circulated. Lower-quality garments were more likely to end up outside Europe, with 56% of Grade D items having their last recorded location outside the continent, compared to 24% of Grade A items.
