The clothing collection system in Ostalbkreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is facing abrupt disruption. The local charity Aktion Hoffnung Rottenburg-Stuttgart has announced it will permanently remove the 74 clothing donation bins located in the district.

According to a press release from the organization, the trigger for the withdrawal was the sudden exit of its contracted logistics partner: the logistics company only took over the cooperation in May this year, yet stopped collecting textiles without warning at the end of August. Since then, bins across the district have remained overflowing with no one to empty them.

Despite extensive efforts, Aktion Hoffnung was unable to find a replacement company willing to take on the collection and disposal of donated textiles, and ultimately had no choice but to withdraw the bins. The removal is expected to begin in mid-September.

The organization admits the decision was not easy. The statement emphasizes that the association and Ostalbkreis have maintained a constructive and trusting cooperation for many years, extending far beyond simply providing sites for the bins, and that Aktion Hoffnung would have liked to continue this partnership.

The reason collection and disposal partners are increasingly hard to find is clear: under the influence of the fast fashion trend, the quality of donated clothing has declined year after year, while the proportion of misdirected items and residual waste in the bins has continued to rise. For some time now, the collection work has no longer covered its costs and is economically unsustainable. The organization says this trend is not limited to Ostalbkreis but can be observed throughout Germany.

What is even more regrettable is that a solution to the structural problem had already been in sight: from 2028, the so-called Textile Act is expected to take effect, requiring textile producers and those placing textiles on the market to pay for the subsequent collection and disposal of old clothes—funds that could have provided financial security for collection in Ostalbkreis.

"It is tragic to be forced to exit just as a collection system built over decades is reaching its end. From 2028, the district will keenly feel the absence of this infrastructure," said Anton Vaas, a board member of the organization. He added that the many years of cooperation with Ostalbkreis have been constructive and mutually trusting, and that they deeply regret being unable to continue collecting; this decision was by no means taken lightly, but there is currently no alternative.

Aktion Hoffnung also appeals to local residents: before the bins are removed, please stop using them, and do not pile bags of clothing or other items beside or on top of the bins.

This incident reflects the dilemma at the collection end of Europe's used-clothing sector: the free donation system's reliance on sorting value is becoming increasingly fragile, while funding from EPR-style textile regulations has yet to materialize, and the gap in between is driving a wave of traditional collection networks to exit first.

Source: Kleidercontainer-Aus im Ostalbkreis: Warum Spenden jetzt zum Problem werden · Originally published 2026-09-10