Understanding textile value chains: Dynamic Probabilistic Material Flow Analysis of textile in the European Union

Textile production and consumption has been increasing over time, along with an increase in waste production. However, there is a substantial gap in knowledge about the textile flows. The European Union has set ambitious target in relation to circularity of the textile sector. Hence, it is essential to understand the complex system of textile production, consumption and disposal to identify the most effective pathways towards circularity. To the best of our knowledge, an overview of textiles flows throughout the whole EU textiles value chain, including both products manufacturing and end of life, remains elusive. To address this gap, this study presents a Dynamic Probabilistic Mass Flow Analysis (DPMFA) of textiles in the EU-27 in the year 2019 (reference year) and 2035 (baseline). It is estimated that annually 11 Mt of used and waste textiles are generated in the EU, of which approximately 80% are either incinerated or landfilled (8.5 Mt).