2023-06-30 16:48:46
ENVIRONMENT
Textiles have been added to food, plastic and paper as types of waste which must be sorted separately for recycling in Denmark.
Published: 30 June 2023 16:55 CEST
While old dishcloths or holed socks could previously be thrown out with regular waste, they must be sorted separately from July 1st, the Ministry of Environment said in a press statement.
“Too many clothes and textiles end up getting burned as general waste. We can do something about this when we sort a ruined top or carpet so it can get a new life,” Environement Minister Magnus Heunicke said in the statement.
The change to recycling rules was backed by a broad majority in parliament, the ministry said.
“Worn out jeans, shirts with holes or old rugs often end up in the waste bin, from where it is taken to incinerators with other general waste. That emits unnecessary CO2 by going up in smoke instead of getting a new life as something like new clothing, cloths or insulation,” the ministry said.
Implementation of the new sorting rules will be determined locally by municipalities, the ministry statement notes. This may have already taken place in some municipalities.
Separate containers for textiles are one possible way of doing this.
Some clothing or textiles can still be thrown out with regular waste, however. This includes textiles with paint stains or with dirt ground into them.
Usable clothes that have no faults should still be donated to charity shops via the many containers placed in housing areas around Denmark.
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