Used textiles : waste or not ?

How are used textiles regarded at present ? When and under what conditions do they no longer qualify as waste ?

Here are some indications to help determine in which situation you are in.

Used textiles that are gathered in containers installed in public spaces (voluntary drop points) and in waste treatment centres are waste.
However, it is possible to achieve an end-of-waste status.

End-of-waste status (EWS)

Used textiles considered as waste can exit from the scope of waste regulations (requiring a specific procedure in the case of cross-border shipment) if they meet the criteria set by the ministerial decree of 11 December 2018.
Such items would then be said to have entered “end-of-waste status” (EWS).

According to the letter of the decree, the conditions for used textiles not to be considered waste are as follows :

• the preparation facility for the reuse of textiles that requests EWS, is classified as an environmental protection facility (nomenclature 2714)
• demonstration of the application of a quality management system is necessary
• an assignment contract is obligatory
• the certificate of compliance in Annex II to the decree must be attached (the assignment contract may suffice if it includes all the elements of the standard certificate of compliance). Please note : if there are several batches, a certificate is required for each batch
• the packaging must be carried out according to methods that preserve the integrity and quality of the textiles (for example : sorting by category - shirts, pants, baby clothes, etc.)

Please note : these conditions are cumulative.

Cross-border transfers of used textiles

1/ If the textiles are considered as waste, their shipment will then be subject to the requirements of European regulation no. 1013/2006 of 14/06/2006 regarding cross-border transfer of waste, and regulation no. 1418/2007 of 29 November 2007 regarding the export of certain types of waste for recovery, as listed in Annex III or IIIA to regulation (EC) no. 1013/2006 to certain countries for which the OECD decision on the control of cross-border movements of waste is not applicable.

For example, exports of used textiles :
 to Iraq are subject to a notification procedure
 to Pakistan are subject to an information procedure
 to the United Arab Emirates are prohibited.

2/ the requirements of those two regulations are no longer applicable to the shipment abroad of used textiles that are no longer considered as waste.