Starting this year, all municipalities in Lithuania are required to provide residents with accessible and high-quality textile waste collection points. Yet recycling remains a major challenge, with only a small fraction of textiles actually processed. To boost textile recycling, the Environment Ministry plans to invest €10 million in recycling equipment.
At the Ecoservice textile sorting centre, around 6,000 tonnes of textiles were collected and sorted last year. Of this, 75% was reused as second-hand clothing, 20% was converted into energy, and only 5% was recycled into cleaning cloths.
“There are many challenges today – not only for textile collectors and sorters, but also for equipment manufacturers, who are trying to develop technologies capable of recycling larger volumes efficiently,” said Ecoservice innovation project manager Laura Zukė.
The Environment Ministry has announced financial support for waste management companies investing in textile recycling equipment. Eligible projects would involve converting textile waste into materials for the production of new products.
Over €10 million has been earmarked for this initiative.
“This is a slow-moving sector, and it’s difficult to attract new players. That’s why this support is being provided – to stimulate economic activity and encourage waste recycling,” explained Environment Ministry representative Aistė Rakauskienė.
Since the start of the year, all municipalities have been obliged to ensure residents can sort textile waste, and collection volumes are steadily increasing.
People interviewed by LRT TV said they try to sell unused clothes online, donate them to charity or pass them on to friends. Clothes that are too worn out are usually thrown away.
“The collection system is in place, the infrastructure is expanding, and municipalities are eager to participate. Residents are sorting better when the facilities exist – but if those options aren’t accessible, people won’t go running around the district looking for a textile bin,” warned Žilvinas Šilgalis, president of the Association of Regional Waste Management Centres.
Each year, Lithuania produces around 50,000 tonnes of textile waste. Waste management companies collect and sort roughly a quarter of that total.
According to Alfredas Skinulis, director of the Environmental Protection Institute, textile producers and importers who sell goods on the domestic market are required to fund waste collection, public information campaigns and education.
“The recycling chain in Lithuania is very weak,” he said. “The main reason is that recycling is more expensive than converting waste into energy. That’s why the principle of producer responsibility is essential – manufacturers need to be involved. Then this process will gradually move forward.”
He added that only around a quarter of clothing materials are natural fibres, while roughly 60% are made from plastic. It is those synthetic components that make textile recycling particularly complex.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
