Environmental assessment of end-of-life textiles in Denmark

The European Union is on its way to a circular economy through eco-design, waste prevention, reuse and recycling of products and materials. This study analyzes the environmental effects of end-of-life textile management in Denmark. First, a Mass Flow Analysis was performed for textile flows from sales to consumers to end processes, which revealed that absolute consumption has grown significantly over the last years. Data on generation and management of used textiles indicated that around 40% are discarded with residual waste, another 40% are captured by collection for reuse channels, and around 17% constitute user-to-user flows. A Life Cycle Assessment was carried out showing the potential environmental effects. This assessment included system expansion to cover the impact of the most likely final cycle of end-of-life, which differ substantially depending on the geographical location of reuse. A sensitivity analysis addressed the key factor of substitution. Overall, the results show that reuse is preferable to other end-of-life options- even with low primary production substitution rates.