A legislation on textile waste is currently being drafted among member states of the European Union. With environment concerns growing in recent years there is greater scrutiny in all businesses to dispose off their waste with methods which do not damage the planet. Whether its fuel, paper or other forms of waste, corporations across the globe are taking an active role in making sure they are environmentally friendly.

The desired objective is to cut waste at landfill sites, which has been a growing problem throughout the continent. There is a realization, products must be manufactured from high-quality, durable materials, and that their reuse must be considered already at the design phase. Final disposal should merely serve as a conclusion for a lengthy lifecycle and not as a solution for textiles that have only served a single purpose.

Just under 23 per cent of the textile waste produced in Finland – 70 million kgs -- is recycled or reused. Also just six per cent of textiles donated to charities or for recycling is used again as raw materials. More needs to be done in the short and long term, to combat waste materials in the textile industry and beyond.