Sweden is struggling to deal with unprocessed textiles following a European Union-wide ban on disposing of clothes. The EU decision has increased the amount of waste, overwhelming the Nordic country’s processing capacity and creating an environmental crisis.

According to Phys.org, EU countries have been required to recycle textiles separately since the beginning of this year. This has led to a 60% increase in the collection of these materials in Sweden during the first months of the year compared to the same period last year. This EU-wide ban was intended to tackle the growing problem of textile waste.

The legislation, enacted on January 1, stipulates that all fabrics, such as clothes, curtains and tablecloths, must be recycled. This is alongside existing processes for glass, paper and food waste.

Although this regulation aims to promote a circular waste management system where textiles are sorted and reused or recycled, the lack of adequate infrastructure in Sweden has complicated the process.

According to a poll by SVT News, many municipalities will not have textile recycling points in residential areas.

“It’s a huge amount coming in every day. It’s been crazy, it’s a huge increase,” said Brian Kelly, secretary general of the Artikel2 charity shop in Stockholm, where rows of bins were overfilled with discarded garments.

According to the Swedish Society for the Conservation of Nature, Sweden throws away 90,000 tonnes of textiles per year, or 10 kilograms (22 pounds) per person.

Karin Sundin, an expert in textile waste from Stockholm’s waste management company, Stockholm Vatten och Avfall, explained that the country lacks large sorting plants capable of processing these materials efficiently. As a result, much of the used clothing is exported to countries like Lithuania, where it is sorted, reused, or burned for energy.

“We don’t have the big sorting plants that can put everything into value in the same way that they have in eastern Europe for example,” explained Sundin. “The reason is that it’s so labour-intensive (and) costs a lot of money.”

The fast fashion industry’s environmental impact is significant. Yvonne Augustsson, an advisor at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, noted that producing a 135-gram T-shirt requires 2,500 litres of water and one kilogram of chemicals, generating greenhouse gas emissions between two and five kilograms.

Major fast fashion companies like H&M and Zara are expected to take a more active role in managing the waste they generate. A preliminary agreement reached by EU member states in February stipulates that these companies will be responsible for the end-of-life stage of their products, including paying for the collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling of textiles.

On top of this, a change in consumer behaviour is also needed to address the issue of textile waste.

Beatrice Rindevall, director of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, suggested that people limit themselves to buying a maximum of five new garments a year. Initiatives including clothing swaps – where people can donate good-condition garments in exchange for others – are gaining popularity in Sweden.