New old dress containers in Hamburg: No more textile waste!

New old dress containers in Hamburg: No more textile waste!

Hamburg, Deutschland - Today, a step in Hamburg is taken towards sustainable textile culture: City cleaning has set up new old clothing containers to improve the disposal of broken clothing. There are currently more than 20 depot containers in the city, and a total of up to 30 should be. The project is initially created for two years, with the aim of seeing fewer textiles in household waste. This initiative is aimed primarily at the citizens, because damaged clothing, such as jeans with holes, may also be added to the new containers. However, heavily dirty parts should be brought directly to the recycling yard.

Every week, two to three tons of unusable clothing get into the hands of the German Red Cross, which takes care of disposal in Hamburg. The collected textiles then find their way to a textile -recerative one that sorts them. Usable parts are used, for example as plaster flaps, while unusable textiles are burned. This process is an important step to reduce the huge amount of textile waste that occurs annually.

The global dimension of the Fast Fashion

While more sustainability is ensured in Hamburg, Greenpeace warns for caution in dealing with textile compartment. Viola Wohlgemuth, a resource protection expert from Greenpeace, has pointed out the catastrophic effects of fast fashion. The Situation is particularly problematic in East Africa, where old clothes arrive from Europe. In cities like Arusha, up to 40 percent of the garments delivered are broken, which presents the population there with great challenges. The overproduction of textiles not only generates garbage, but also significantly damages the environment, as can be seen in Nairobi: the Nairobi river there, once a drinking water source, is now heavily dirty and is not immersed in front of odor.

Greenpeace therefore calls for a legal ban on textile glowing and a global textile tax in order to make production more sustainable. At the end of the day it is about that new textiles are durable, poisonous and recyclable. The second-hand goods should also be in the foreground to protect resources and avoid waste. By 2030, 10 percent of German city centers should also be available for alternative forms of consumption, as Greenpeace propagates.

EU policy and the responsibility of the manufacturers

also at European level is a lot going on in textile waste. The European Parliament has introduced measures to reduce dangerous chemicals in textiles and to support sustainable consumer decisions. Manufacturers are asked to take responsibility for their products, even if they become waste. In March 2024, new proposals for revising the waste guideline are to be presented to use the collected textiles more efficiently.

Overall, it shows that large steps are taken in both Hamburg and at European level to counteract the textile waste crisis. A sustainable future in the textile sector is only possible if consumers, organizations and industry work hand in hand.

More information on these topics can be found at ndr href = "https://gpn.greenpeace.de/konsum/fast-fashion-muss-aufhoren/"> Greenpeace and European Parliament .