What do we see?
In 2022, 17.1 kilotonnes of textiles were collected, which represents an increase compared to previous years. The amount of textiles that were resold has been around 4 kilotonnes for a number of years and has increased slightly in recent years to 4.4 kilotonnes in 2022. This is partly due to better quality and an increased focus on boutiques and varied forms of sales. Specifically, only 26% of collected textiles were resold in 2022.
What’s the aim?
In a circular economy, reuse is a key strategy: it extends the life of products in which they remain functional for as long as possible. More reuse means avoiding products becoming waste prematurely. Moreover, reused products are ideal replacements for new products that would otherwise be bought.
The Local Materials Plan 2023-2030 states as an objective that Flanders will monitor the reuse of a number of specific product groups (including textiles) throughout the plan period.
What does this indicator measure?
This indicator reflects the reuse of textiles in Flanders through the recognised reuse centres, the official reuse network in Flanders. The figures are expressed in kilotonnes; reuse is also plotted against the number of inhabitants. The data for this indicator were provided by OVAM.
These figures underestimate real reuse because people turn to informal channels in addition to reuse centres. However, these channels are included in the calculation of total reuse in Flanders.
