European Circular Textile Coalition Launches Manifesto For A Circular Economy
Reju, along with 11 other companies across the textile value chain, has launched the European Circular Textile Coalition and unveiled a manifesto calling for a fully circular textile economy under the vision that “a world without waste is possible.” The coalition urges the European Union to transform post-consumer textile waste into a driver of green jobs, innovation and competitiveness.
Europe generates around 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste annually, with most of it landfilled, incinerated or exported, and only about 1% recycled into new garments. The coalition argues that this situation is no longer acceptable and calls for stronger EU action to align regulatory ambition with investments in recycling and manufacturing infrastructure.
The manifesto outlines three key priorities — ensuring a competitive European textile chain through reshoring, prioritising high-quality textile-to-textile recycling to make post-consumer waste the main feedstock for new textiles, and setting mandatory recycled content targets with realistic timelines.
“Voluntary efforts have proven insufficient; binding standards are essential to drive demand for recycled materials,” the coalition stated. Reju CEO Patrik Frisk emphasised the importance of collaboration, saying, “Change happens through collaboration. This coalition is about driving system-wide transformation together, and we welcome more businesses to join us.”
The group has also announced plans for an advocacy tour to engage policymakers and industry stakeholders, urging immediate action toward building a circular and waste-free textile economy in Europe.
