12.6 million tons of textile waste is generated in the European Union all year. The shoes and clothing alone are 5.2 million tons, which gives an average of 12 kg per person. The EU institutions want to advance recycling and second circulation in the industry. On the 1 hand, this is served by legislation, specified as amending the Waste Directive and imposing more work on producers. On the another hand, officials want to increase consumer awareness and pay attention to the scale of challenges. 1 specified initiative is an upcycle fashion exhibition "(Re)Made in EU", which opened in Warsaw last week.
– Each European produces about 12 kg of textile waste per year, while buying about 26 kg of clothing, shoes and another textiles. These 12 kg are not so easy processed, especially erstwhile mixed with another waste. Therefore, the first step is segregation and the second step is recycling what can be recycled. For what cannot be processed, we are looking for the anticipation of re-use – emphasises in an interview with Newseria Witold Naturski, manager of the European Parliament Office in Poland.
According to the European Parliament, citing fresh data from the European Environment Agency (EEA), 87% of all utilized textiles in Europe are burned or sent to landfills. little than half of the worn clothing is collected for reuse or recycling, and only 1% of this clothing is recycled for fresh clothing.
– The European Union is simply a large maker of clothing, but besides a immense maker of waste. This is 12 million tons a year. We frequently do not know that in the case of clothing waste we can recycle, recover only 1%, that is, the vast majority of products are wasted – says Dr. Katarzyna Smyk, manager of the European Commission's Representation in Poland.
– The European Parliament wants this work to remainder on manufacturers and those who sale clothes – says Witold Naturski.
In September 2025, the EP adopted fresh rules which amend the alleged waste directive to date. According to them, all associate States must make a fresh strategy of extended maker activities (ROPs). All to guarantee that producers entering the Union market, including clothes, shoes, sheets or curtains, cover collection, sorting and recycling costs. The fresh rules will besides apply to e-commerce.
"The thought of the waste directive, which the European Commission proposed in July 2023 and which was adopted this year, is aimed at reducing waste. These are besides incentives and mechanisms for the production of clothing, which would be more durable or re-useable, but besides to advance awareness from producers to consumers, so that we all make purchases consciously. If we stopped making clothes today, we'd have adequate for six generations. Katarzyna Smyk emphasizes.
It was the promotion of sustainable fashion that guided the authors of the exhibition "(Re)Made in EU", which visited Warsaw last week. It consists of 28 creations created in the spirit of upcycling. Each comes from another EU associate State and Ukraine. The task distinguishes itself by being prepared exclusively from textiles and natural materials, which have their first life cycle behind them. Thanks to European designers, they gain a second life.
– The exhibition "(Re)Made in EU" was invented at the European Parliament Office in Paris. We are the second capital in which she guests, came to us consecutive from Paris – says Witold Naturski.
– Art is simply a large way to advance sustainable fashion and spread cognition of the re-use and recycling of all materials that people throw away. Garbage thrown out by others to us becomes material. quite a few people think that if something comes from recycling, it's most likely ugly, it smells bad and it's unpleasant. Recyclable materials are frequently truly beautiful – says Bea Shenfeld, fashion designer and 1 of the authors of the presented works.
Among the exhibits on "(Re)Made in EU" is simply a set of vests and bags made of Moroccan carpets. Plus a coat made of textile waste, including unsold towels or bed linen.
– 2 of my outfits, which can be viewed at the exhibition, were not created for her, but were made on order of the client. Since their work is so time-consuming, it would not be possible to execute them in specified a short time. I do everything manually, each of the quilted elements takes about 2 weeks – emphasises Bea Shenfeld. “In today’s planet you can get the impression that we are flooded with “fast fashion”. Sometimes erstwhile I go to the studio in the morning, I ask myself why I do it. I think that we are slow moving towards a better world, prompting people to rethink their decisions all time they want to buy something new. I'm glad we're at this stage, but we gotta decision a lot faster. I hope that as a community of artists and fashion designers we can improve the situation.
The exhibition “(Re)Made in EU” organized by the European Parliament Office in Poland and the European Commission Representation in Poland can be seen in the multimedia space of Europa Experience at Jasna Street in Warsaw. It will last until 10 January 2026.
