Towards a More Circular Post-Consumer Textile Waste Management

Abstract: There has been a substantial increase in demand for textile and clothing with huge implications for post-consumer textile waste management systems. The current ‘buy-and-throw-away’ culture has led to larger quantities of textile and clothing ending up in landfills and incineration than before. This has become an increasing problem in the world and the linear way of operating is no longer sustainable. This study focuses on the post-consumer textile waste management in Finland with the aim to map out legislations formed between 2008-2018 concerning post-consumer textiles and to see how the legislations support transition towards a circular economy. The second focus of the study aims to understand the role of charitable organizations in Finland and their insights on post-consumer textile waste management. A qualitative case study is conducted with interviews and document analysis. The results of the study show that five legislations have been formed concerning post-consumer textile waste management in Finland between 2008-2018 and things are moving well towards transition to circularity. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of charitable organizations as an actor in the post-consumer textile waste management and the outcome of the interviews indicates progress in policy coordination between actors that is important.