advocacy

Revisions to definition of reusable and waste textiles

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the leading global environmental authority within the UN system, is carrying out its One UNEP Textile Initiative, which coordinates the organization’s efforts to accelerate a just transition toward a sustainable and circular textile value chain. As part of this work, UNEP has launched the Circularity and Used Textile Trade Project, which is focused on developing global guidance to establish criteria that distinguish reusable textiles from waste. The aim is to clarify what products can move across borders as used textiles and what should be treated as waste—supporting legitimate reuse and recycling while reducing the risk of environmental harm from poorly managed exports. UNEP has been convening multi-stakeholder dialogues and workshops to inform this process. SMART has already provided feedback and will continue to engage to ensure that the expertise of the textile reuse and recycling industry is reflected in any final guidance.

At the same time, the Basel Convention, the primary international treaty governing the cross-border movement and disposal of hazardous and other wastes, has formally begun examining how to address textiles within its framework. At its April–May 2025 COP-17 meeting in Geneva, parties agreed to launch intersessional work on textile waste, a step that could eventually lead to new classifications and trade controls. Textiles were highlighted as a rapidly growing waste stream of global concern, particularly in developing countries. SMART is working to secure a more formal role in these discussions and is actively engaging key U.S. government agencies and allied European organizations to advocate for fair, practical approaches that recognize the value of reuse and recycling and preserve open markets for secondhand textiles worldwide.