In the sorting workshop of the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) in Nuremberg, Mihaela Crafcenco and four colleagues face a mountain of used clothing that seems impossible to ever level down. They spread out old trousers and shirts dumped from plastic bags one by one on a large table, inspecting each item by hand. Each person processes about one ton of clothing per day, working full-time Monday through Friday. This relentless influx of used clothing is pushing Germany's decades-old clothing donation system to its breaking point.

According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, three factors are crushing this system: the surge in clothing volumes driven by fast fashion, the continued shrinking of export markets, and upcoming EU regulations.

The clothing donation model has long relied on selling sorted garments overseas to balance its books. But export channels are now steadily narrowing, leaving large quantities of previously sellable used clothing stranded at the sorting stage. At the same time, fast fashion has accelerated the pace of wardrobe turnover, collection volumes keep rising, and sorting and processing costs remain stubbornly high.

New regulatory requirements being advanced at the EU level are seen as yet another blow to the existing model. Against this backdrop, collectors, recycling companies, and a startup in the industry are trying their own solutions, attempting to save what remains viable in this system.

For the used clothing trade, this means an export-oriented circulation chain is under structural pressure: more supply, narrower export channels, and higher compliance costs. As one of Europe's largest used clothing collection markets, Germany's adjustments in collection, sorting, and recycling will also shape the trajectory of downstream trade and regeneration.

Source: Die Altkleider-Krise · Originally published 2026-09-11