Measuring up – first edition of ZWE’s municipal manual for circular textile systems

With the start of the mandate for separate collection of textiles at the beginning of 2025 and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes mandated across the EU from March 2028, we are in a moment in time where the way we have previously managed textile waste will change monumentally.

This paper aims to provide an overview of the different collection models and infrastructure on offer for European municipalities regarding textile waste, exploring what measures can be introduced to maximise both the volume and quality of textile materials collected for reuse. It showcases that the past approach by many local authorities in the EU to textile waste—which was largely ‘out of sight, out of mind’—can no longer be justified. 

The document is the first in our new multi-edition series, ZWE’s Municipal Manual for Circular Textiles, which will explore and address the core functions of a circular textiles system.

Full report and executive summary available in English.