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Humana recovers 38 million garments in Spain from January to June
07-07-2021
The Foundation has recovered 8,456 tons of used textiles in Spain during the first half of the year to give them a second life through reuse or recycling. From January to June, more than 1.5 million donors have checked their wardrobes and deposited clothes, footwear, accessories and home textiles that they no longer use in the Foundation's containers.
The 8,456 tons recovered by Humana are equivalent to 38 million garments whose management allows to extend their useful life and implies a double benefit: environmental and social.
- Environmental because it reduces the generation of waste and prevents it from ending up in a landfill. In addition, the recovery of textile waste so far this year represents a saving of 26,798 tons of CO2 not emitted into the atmosphere.
- Social because it promotes the creation of green jobs. Humana generates indefinite employment for every 30,000 kg of textile collected. In addition, the resources obtained are used for social projects: after more than three decades of activity, three million people have been involved in development programs in the countries of the South through local counterparts or partners; These are projects focused on the training of primary school teachers, the promotion of sustainable agriculture or the fight against HIV / AIDS, among other actions.
How much clothing is recovered in Spain: barely 10%
Each citizen discards between 20 and 30 kg of textiles each year, according to data from the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge. According to the most recent reports, in Spain only 110,000 tons of textiles are collected annually, which barely represents 11% of the total waste generated in Spain. Most of it - around 900,000 tonnes - ends up in the wrong container.
And all this despite the fact that textiles are the waste with the greatest potential for reuse: 9 out of 10 garments processed properly have a second life through reuse or recycling.
The future of the sector is marked, in the first place, by the new Waste Law, pending approval in the Courts, which determines that all municipalities must establish a separate collection for textile waste before 2025 (nowadays they are not obliged to this), which will boost the recovery figures.
Second, it is essential to increase the number of containers in public space to facilitate donations from citizens; implement regulatory mechanisms that allow effective and efficient selective collection, guarantee traceability in the value chain, and make the destination of clothing visible. The existence of reliable indicators is key to the credibility of the system and to give citizens confidence.
Third, and in a three-year horizon, those who put textile products on the market will have to assume the costs and management of the waste generated, the so-called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which already works for other fractions, like packaging.
The fate of used clothing
The main destination of the garments deposited in Humana's containers is the Foundation's preparation plants for reuse (in Madrid and Barcelona). A small part is sold to reuse and recycling companies. The destination of the treated garments is:
- 54% is destined for reuse: 14% through secondhand stores and 40% is exported, mainly to Africa to be commercialized, make clothing accessible to the most disadvantaged communities and generate resources for development cooperation.
- 37.5% are in a state that does not allow their reuse, which is why they are sold to textile recycling companies to make other products (blankets, insulators or rags for the automotive industry).
- 1.5% is improper waste (plastic, cardboard, others) that is placed in the hands of authorized managers.
- 7% cannot be reused or recycled or recovered from energy and is sent to waste treatment centers for final disposal.
