Icelanders Throw Out 10 Tonnes Of Clothing Per Day

Icelanders discard roughly 10 tonnes of clothing per day, according to the Icelandic Environment and Energy Agency. Only five to ten percent of the textile is recycled domestically, with the vast majority of clothes being exported to waste centres in Europe, RÚV reports.

According to the Saman Gegn Sóun initiative, which emphasises frugality and less consumption, demand for second-hand clothes has diminished worldwide. While the amount of clothes purchased has increased, their quality has decreased.

Since 2023, municipalities have assumed the responsibility of collecting discarded clothes and textiles. As told by Saman Gegn Sóun, the collection duties, transportation and handling of the waste has turned out to be a costly aspect, especially due to low demand for second-hand clothing.