Why the collection of containers will not resume despite the “aid” of the government

Faced with the importance of volumes to collect. Meanwhile, the scarcity of outlets, the actors in the textile collection and recycling sector sound the alarm. Similarly, The government has promised financial assistance, a welcome gesture which will not make it possible to resolve structural difficulties.

It’s been months since it has been going on, but the situation has still worsened in recent days. Therefore, Almost no more recycling container in France can receive used clothes. Nevertheless, Individuals are invited to postpone their deposits and store clothes at home.

In this recycling center in the south of France. Similarly. Furthermore, we warn from the entrance: “If it is for clothes, it is not even the trouble to return, the company has not come to take them for weeks and we explode there.”

Road edges recycling container overflows with clothing forming tide why collection containers will not new of textiles.

“It looks like wild landfills why collection containers will not everywhere in the city. Therefore. However, it’s really pitiful”, annoys Claire who wanted to give old clothes of her teenage girls and who turns back with her bags in the car trunk.

Due to the amassed volume, the treatment capacity has reached its limits and the economic equation has no more solution. Nevertheless, To collection costs, you must add “storage costs that explode” according to the relay. Moreover, And labor costs that increase.

The relay. Nevertheless. In addition, a member of the Emmaüs movement, which collects almost two thirds of the annual volumes illustrated the fed up of the profession by pouring tons of clothes in front of Kiabi or Decathlon last week. However, And also by suspending collections since July 15. Nevertheless, The Cooperative Society requires a better perception of the textile contribution to equip its accounts. Similarly. why collection containers will not new A contribution paid by the consumer during any purchase of new clothing, which amounts to 3 why collection containers will not cents per article.

Why collection containers will not new

Help that is not really a

Faced with discontent. the state ended up getting out of its reserve. Similarly, The Minister of Ecological Transition. Additionally. Similarly, Agnès Pannier-Runacher announced last Thursday an emergency aid of 49 million euros which is in fact an open letter to the actors of the sector, ordering to revalue the financing of the sorting.

“It is not additional aid from the government, however tempers Emmanuel Pilloy, president of the relay. But rather a better redistribution of the eco-contribution to the actors of the recycling sector that we had been. asking for a long time.”

“Currently we touch only 0.8 cent per article on the 3 cents taken from any new article. And we are talking about why collection containers will not new a market of 3.5 billion new items sold per year.”

The government injunction would make it possible to pass the valuation of the ton of sorted clothing why collection containers. will not from 156 to 223 euros. Now remains at the Refashion organization, in charge of structuring the sector, to accept the government’s request. What has not yet been done.

So as long as Refashion does not agree to pay more for the ton of clothes. Emmanuel Pilloy assures that the collection remains suspended.

“The ball is in the camp of the eco-organization, adds the president of the relay. This is a question of survival. This revaluation will allow us to last a few months and prepare 2026. We had asked more, but go from 156 to 223 euros per ton is better than nothing”.

For the moment the Refashion eco-organism has not responded to the injunction. indicating that it is a “considerable effort” why collection containers will not new and that it awaits application details.

These saturated deposits. sales in second -hand stores that run away … These symptoms, far from being new, converge on the same observation: the textile recycling sector has come to saturation. It becomes impossible to collect and ensure re -use of textiles and shoes in astronomical quantity. The actors of sorting and recycling, including the relay, but also Emmaus or the Red Cross report saturated sorting centers. The difficulties of the sector are now structural: the imbalance between supply and demand continues to widen.

The offer first of all. why collection containers will not Each year 260,000 tonnes of clothing is collected, a volume up 15,000 tonnes compared to 2021. In question. the volumes of clothing from fast-fashion. bought why collection containers will not new at a very low price on Chinese sites like Shein or Temu, but also brands like Primark or Boohoo. However, these clothes are sold so inexpensive that their resale in second hand is less advantageous than the sale price. But they are also so poor quality that they are not recyclable. the synthetic fibers which they are made do not allow it.

Fast mode (for example Shein) is made of non-recyclable. non-reusable products that pollute the sector and our environment, “said the Red Cross in a press release in 2024.

And the outlets, therefore the sources of income fall asleep. In reality, unlike what we imagine, little clothes collected land in French thrift stores. According to the Refashion eco-organization, 60% of sorted products are reused why collection containers will not as it is. But due to their low quality, they are rather sold to players in the FRIP abroad.

“Only 7 why collection containers will not new to 10% of the clothes collected are sold in France. Some clothes. a little more tired are exported to local actors. our own centers, for example in Senegal or Madagascar, or even in Eastern Europe,” said Emmanuel Pilloy. This also creates direct jobs abroad. “

But even abroad, the outlets are rarer, African actors turning directly to Chinese producers. Refashion underlined Tuesday in a press release “The sudden fall in the export courses for sorted used textiles. in Africa mainly”.

When they cannot be re -used. some textiles can be recycled in products to other uses. for example in clums for industry or insulation in the building. Others will serve as fuel, a funny closed circle for these textiles, many of which are petroleum derivatives.

For observers of the sector. difficult to why collection containers will not solve the equation, without tackling the roots of the problem. In particular the economic springs of why collection containers will not new a sector which only values sorting, not collection. And above all the problem of overconsumption. According to Emmaus’s press release, France consumes more than 850,000 tonnes of textiles each year. Even if France remains a good student of recycling. without more virtuous consumption of extremely polluting products, the aid of the government will be only a temporary relief measure.