Used clothing recycling in the German city of Schwerin is facing an unprecedented challenge. Since May of this year, the city's used clothing recycling system has undergone a major adjustment, with recycling points run by several nonprofit organizations taken over by the municipal waste disposal company SAS. Behind this change lies a dilemma commonly faced by the used clothing recycling industry in Germany and across Europe: recycling volumes have surged, but quality has declined and prices have fallen, making it difficult for many traditional recyclers to survive. In Schwerin, however, during the transition between the old and new systems, residents' used clothing drop-offs exploded, as if "a long-dammed flood had suddenly burst its banks."

SAS general manager Andreas Lange described how many residents seemed to send all the used clothing they had accumulated at home straight to the newly established or reopened recycling points, causing street-side collection points to overflow frequently and even creating scenes of garbage piled up like mountains. SAS had to arrange a dedicated vehicle to patrol and clear them around the clock. It is estimated that the city's used clothing recycling volume this year will far exceed that of previous years.

Even more troublesome is that large amounts of non-clothing waste have been mixed into the recycling points. Lange revealed that about 10% to 20% of the contents in the containers are incorrectly disposed items, including glass bottles, metal parts, and even used baby diapers, while bulky waste is also often dumped nearby. These incorrect drop-offs not only increase processing costs but may also contaminate clothing that could still be used, depriving it of its value for secondary use. Lange said helplessly: "These extra costs will ultimately be shared by residents who pay waste fees, but no one wants waste fees to rise." To this end, SAS is calling on residents to wash and bag clothing before dropping it off, and to tie shoes together in pairs.

Lange believes the root of the problem also lies in the expansion of the fast fashion industry. Cheap clothing is worn briefly and then discarded, causing recycling volumes to soar while quality declines. When supply far exceeds demand, prices inevitably fall, and nonprofit recyclers lose their room to survive. At present, about 60 traditional used clothing recycling points in Schwerin are still in operation, with additional large collection containers set up at recycling centers.

Faced with this chaos, SAS is evaluating the clearing frequency of each site. If certain locations continue to be severely contaminated and the accumulated materials are no longer related to used clothing, the municipal government may completely cancel these recycling points. At that point, residents will need to take their used clothing to other locations or other recycling centers.

Source: Windeln, Elektroschrott, Teppiche und mehr: Jetzt drohen Müll-Konsequenzen · Originally published on 2026-09-01