Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (Basel Convention) have agreed to take up work on how transboundary movements of waste textiles and their management could be addressed under the Basel Convention. The decision to begin work on waste textiles follows growing concern with the mismanagement of waste textiles, particularly with respect to exports to developing countries that lack adequate facilities for ensuring environmentally sound management. The workplan agreed upon at the 17th meeting of Conference of Parties (COP-17) (April 28 – May 9) is likely a first step toward new waste classifications for waste textiles under the Convention, with implications for the reuse and recycling of textiles and, more broadly, the circularity ambitions of leading brands.
The Basel Convention and Textile Waste Classification
The Basel Convention is an international agreement among 191 Parties establishing the global legal framework for the classification and control of transboundary movement of hazardous and other (non-hazardous) wastes. Under the Convention, Basel-controlled wastes are subject to country-to-country prior informed consent (PIC) procedures that require the approval of exporting, transit, and importing countries prior to shipment of controlled wastes. In many instances, international waste shipments are subject to trade bans under the Convention or related legal measures. These and other requirements related to documentation, contracts, and financial assurance are implemented by Parties at the national level worldwide. In recent years, the Convention has emerged as the de facto legal framework governing circular economy trade in covered plastics, electronics, batteries, and other recyclables.
Current Waste Classification for Textiles
As a general matter, textile waste can include a wide range of products that are made from natural or synthetic fibers. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has noted that fabrics used in clothing, footwear, carpets, furniture, and household goods (such as sheets and towels) are among the product categories considered textiles.
Currently, under the Basel Convention, textile waste is classified under waste entries B3030 (covering various types of natural and synthetic materials) and B3035 (covering floor coverings and carpets) in Annex IX of the Basel Convention. Wastes listed in Annex IX are generally regarded as non-hazardous wastes that are outside the Convention's controls and trade bans for hazardous wastes (Annex VIII), provided the wastes do not contain Annex I hazardous constituents to the extent that would cause the waste to exhibit Annex III hazardous characteristics.
The recent expansion of the Convention to control non-hazardous plastic wastes under a Y48 listing in Annex II (a list of "other wastes" that, while non-hazardous, are nevertheless subject to virtually complete Basel Convention control measures) has raised questions as to whether certain synthetic textile wastes might be subject to control as Annex II plastic wastes. In some instances, textiles containing hazardous substances (e.g., technical textiles) may be considered hazardous.
Review of Challenges and Opportunities to Address Textile Wastes
Following several years of informal discussions among Basel Parties and stakeholders, a COP-17 decision:
Invites Parties and observers to submit, by November 15, 2025, comments, including relevant data where applicable, regarding experiences, challenges, and costs related to the trade of used textiles and textile wastes, as well as views on how transboundary movements of textile wastes and their management could be addressed under the Basel Convention, and requests the Secretariat to make the comments available on the Convention website.
The decision directs the Secretariat to compile and use those comments to develop a report on possible options available under the Basel Convention to address used textiles and textile wastes for consideration at the fifteenth meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG-15), a subsidiary body that convenes between COP meetings. OEWG-15 will then:
. . . consider relevant options available under the Convention to address challenges linked to the transboundary movement of textile wastes (including the distinction between used textiles and textile wastes) . . . and develop a proposal for possible options, within the scope of the Convention, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its eighteenth meeting.
Whether used products are to be classified as wastes subject to control and trade bans or "non-wastes" that are outside the Convention, has proven to be a common and complex challenge for Parties and the regulated community. Some Parties have already cautioned that an overly broad "waste classification" for used textiles could disrupt some valuable trade channels for the repair and reuse of textiles.
While definitive measures have not yet been proposed, the following options were highlighted at a COP-17 side-event on "The Possible Role of the Basel Convention relating to Textile Waste and Used Textiles" and serve as examples of options that could be considered by the Parties:
- Development of a partnership to continue gathering global data and best practices.
- Creation of technical guidelines to clarify distinctions between used textiles and textile waste to support environmentally sound management.
- Review of the Basel Convention annexes to potentially subject textile waste shipments to PIC procedures.
The European Union's Work on Textile Waste
The European Union (EU) is a leading proponent of initiating work on textiles under the Basel Convention. As such, it is likely that the EU will seek to advance international approaches to the classification and management of used textiles that align with actions underway in the EU.
Under the current Waste Framework Directive (WFD), Member States were required to set up separate collection for textiles by January 1, 2025. Member States are also required to take measures to prevent waste generation by encouraging reuse and repair of textiles.
Provisional agreement on targeted revisions to the WFD was reached in February 2025, which includes provisions on a harmonized mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles that would be implemented at the national level involving eco-modulation of fees for textile products. The European Parliament and the Council will need to adopt the revised Directive before it can enter into force (occurs 20days after Directive is published in the Official Journal of the EU). Thereafter, the 27 EU Member States will then need to transpose the Directive into national legislation within 20 monthsof entry into force.
The EU is also engaging on the issue of textile waste at the international level. The United Nations Environmental Program and the EU are partnering on a project examining the global trade of used textiles. The project focuses on trade flow mapping and developing guidelines to distinguish between used textiles and textile waste, with pilot work in Kenya, Ghana, Tunisia, and Pakistan.
Similarly, OECD member countries have also focused on the challenges of managing textile wastes and, in 2024, released a report surveying EPR laws for textiles.
What's Next
The Basel Secretariat is likely to clarify its plans for near-term work on textiles, including further consultations with Parties and observers on the development of recommendations for further action under the Convention. Interested observers should anticipate an interim report on progress at the OEWG-15 meeting tentatively planned for June 2026. That meeting will also provide an opportunity for in-person discussions on possible actions to address textiles under the Convention.
Companies investing in circularity initiatives for textiles and related consumer goods that involve transboundary movements should consider taking steps now to prepare for work that is underway at the international level under the Basel Convention. For example:
- Map business disruption and trade risks that would arise from amendments to the Basel Convention to control waste textiles managed for recycling. These include not only the cost of robust waste shipment controls but also various trade bans that could prohibit some shipments under the Convention (e.g., party to non-party trade ban with the U.S.) or exports to non-OECD countries under the EU Waste Shipment Regulation.
- Assess recent negotiations and Basel technical guidance for other waste streams to better understand issues and possible approaches countries may take to waste/non-waste classifications for used products managed for legitimate repair, refurbishment, and reuse.
- Consider submitting comments to the Secretariat by November 15, 2025, through trade groups or business organizations to assist Parties in evaluating opportunities to use the Convention to improve the control and management of certain textile wastes while also furthering circularity and sustainability goals.
- Prepare to participate in further technical consultations under the Convention on options for improving the management of textile wastes under the Convention, including participating in any work group meetings and at the next meeting of the OEWG (tentative for June 2026).
- Prepare for further negotiations on legally binding amendments to the Convention that could be proposed by a Party in the lead up to COP-18 (April 19-20, 2027, Panama City, Panama) to expand the Convention to control international trade in various types of used and waste textiles.
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