A report has surfaced which revealed that Europe dumps around 90% of its clothing and textile waste in the African and Asian continent. The numbers are staggering and if not tackled properly, could double the consequences both the continents are facing at the moment.
5.8 Million Tonnes of Textile Waste
According to some estimates, Europe alone produces around 5.8 tonnes of textile waste a year, most of which is dumped into Africa and Asia. The European Environment Agency has warned that the textile waste has alarming consequences for regions where it is dumped. Almost all the textile products have synthetic textiles which are prepared from raw materials called petrochemicals. Improper disposal of synthetic textiles causes release of greenhouse gasses and the release of microplastics.
EEA Expressed Concerns
The European agency expressed concerns about the illegal disposal of textile waste that ends up in Africa and Asia. Just in 2019, shockingly over 60% of Europe textile exports landed in Africa. Without proper waste management, the waste could trigger health hazards, to places that have high vulnerability to diseases, and climate change disasters.
