Spain launches textile waste collection pilot program

In preparation for the 2026 EU Collective System of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles and footwear (SCRAP) regulation, the Spanish Association for the Management of Textile Waste, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), and major fashion brands are collaborating to tackle textile waste.

The group recently announced Re-viste, Spain’s first textile waste collection pilot program. Prominent brands like Decathlon, H&M, Inditex, and Mango are backing this initiative, which aims to test various collection systems for textile waste.

Set to launch in April 2025, Re-viste will operate in six Spanish towns, representing urban, semi-urban, and rural areas with a total population exceeding 300,000. Different collection methods will be tested, including street containers, public cleaning stations, and private spaces such as stores and schools. Once collected, textiles will be sent to sorting facilities for evaluation and potential resale at thrift stores.

Non-reusable textiles will be sorted by material for recycling into new fabrics. A monitoring committee, led by the FEMP Textile Waste Working Group and Re-viste, will oversee the system’s implementation. After the law takes effect, Spain will need one textile waste container for every 1,200 residents.

Juan Ramón Meléndez, director of Re-viste, emphasized the importance of cooperation between municipalities, producers, and consumers to enhance textile recycling efforts, saying, “This pilot program helps us move towards a sustainable model for textile collection and recycling.”

Alejandro Dorado, the Ministry of Ecological Transition’s commissioner for circular economy, added, “With textiles accounting for 3% of GDP, this initiative marks significant progress toward a sustainable future for Spain’s textile industry.”