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Textile stocks may take 2 years to return to normal: BIR
30 Jun '20
2 min read
Pic: Shutterstock
The textiles recycling industry is in a critical stage, according to Brussels-based Bureau of International Recycling’s (BIR) textiles division president Martin Böschen, who said stocks at collection and processing firms may be three to four times higher than usual. Even in the more positive scenario, it would take 18-24 months for stocks to hit normal levels, he cautioned.
“We are currently in a situation that, in some markets and areas, the prices of unsorted, post-consumer textiles are lower than the costs for collection,” Böschen told the division’s e-forum on June 23. This situation has put collection, sorting and recycling at risk and, if it were to continue, “it could be the end of many current collection systems”, he was quoted as saying by a BIR press release.
The pandemic-related closure of many retail outlets around the world had contributed to a huge increase in inventories of both raw materials and sorted goods, and thus to a substantial decrease in prices, he said.
“Depending on the market,” he said, “current retail revenues are said to be 40-60 per cent (of the norm) in Eastern Europe and Southern Europe, as well as in the open South American countries, and up to around 80 per cent in North-West Europe and in the USA.”
“We need to ensure that the waste hierarchy will be followed in future, putting reuse always above recycling,” added Böschen.
“We are currently in a situation that, in some markets and areas, the prices of unsorted, post-consumer textiles are lower than the costs for collection,” Böschen told the division’s e-forum on June 23. This situation has put collection, sorting and recycling at risk and, if it were to continue, “it could be the end of many current collection systems”, he was quoted as saying by a BIR press release.
The pandemic-related closure of many retail outlets around the world had contributed to a huge increase in inventories of both raw materials and sorted goods, and thus to a substantial decrease in prices, he said.
“Depending on the market,” he said, “current retail revenues are said to be 40-60 per cent (of the norm) in Eastern Europe and Southern Europe, as well as in the open South American countries, and up to around 80 per cent in North-West Europe and in the USA.”
“We need to ensure that the waste hierarchy will be followed in future, putting reuse always above recycling,” added Böschen.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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